We're Not in America Anymore
by MsMacBeth10
Summary: Irene O'Connell just wanted to spend some time with her brother Rick after five years of separation, but even that was too much to ask when their visit to Hamunaptra goes awry and a three-thousand year-old curse is unleashed. Compared to saving the world, becoming attracted to a certain Medjai chieftain was hardly worth mentioning...right?
1. Welcome to Cairo Prison

A/n: this is a rewrite/massive edited version of my previous Mummy story. My first OC was completely Mary Sue (and Rick's sister being a tomboy and has arse-kicking skills is so overdone now, which is why I made quite the bit of change with my OC. She will be just an ordinary girl without strange reincarnation stories or anything for that matter. And she actually drinks! 8D)

Disclaimer: If I owned even a morsel of the franchise, Ardeth would not be single at the end of the movie. So no, I do not own anything. /sob/

* * *

"What do you mean he's in prison?!"

Irene O'Connell stood up so fast that her apartment room began spinning around and around. She quickly placed a hand against the wall in an attempt to regain her balance - being dizzy would be no help to anyone.

"I mean exactly what I mean, Miss O'Connell," the thick-accecented man's voice came out of her phone, not sounding very sorry of the fact that her brother had just been thrown into prison.

Irene - or Rena, as Rick called her - sighed heavily. The last time Rick had contacted her was five years ago, and that had been before he told her that he was planning an expedition to Egypt for some treasure or another. She hadn't received any news from him after that, and now that she had, it was because he was in _prison_.

"That idiot," she muttered, shaking her head in disappointment. It _would _be typical Rick behavior to land himself in prison, but she still couldn't quite believe that, after all the times they'd joked about him being taken to prison if he misbehaved, he would _actually _get locked up.

"Miss O'Connell?" the man, presumably the jail's warden, asked when she had not said anything in a long time.

"Y-Yes?" Her voice sounded more like a high-pitched squeak than her usual, lower tone.

Irene took a deep breath to calm herself, knowing that she had to stay focused. But she had never been like her brother, who was normally calm and composed even in life-threatening situations. She was always the quiet one, preferring peace over violence, sitting on the sidelines while Rick took credit for the action.

_Maybe that's why he hasn't contacted me in so_ long, she mused, _I'm so different from him that he's ashamed I'm related to him_...Well, there was no point thinking about that now. There were more important matters at hand.

"As I was saying, Miss O'Connell, why don't you come and visit my humble home? I'm afraid your brother has gone too far this time, and he is scheduled to be hanged in a couple of days days. You should come and see him in person. He might have some last words for you." The warden let out a laugh, as if he found the situation extremely hilarious.

_I think I need a drink_, Irene groaned inwardly, hating how the first time she finally got to see him after so many years would also be her last. Not to mention the fact that she would be seeing him in _prison_, which was far from suitable for sibling reunions.

She choked back a sob as she asked, "If you don't mind me asking, Sir, why exactly _is_ he in prison?"

"I figured you would ask that, Miss O'Connell, so I when I got the chance, I asked him myself...He said he was 'just looking for a good time'."

Irene suddenly found that her knees were unable to support her. She collapsed back into her chair. _Rick, you idiot, _she cried silently, _why can't you _think _before you do something rash_? "Alright, I'll be there," she told him quietly, and then she almost forgot to ask the most important bit of information: "And _where _is this prison, Sir?"

"That would be in Cairo, Miss."

"_E-Egypt_?" Irene asked, wishing desperately that she had misheard him. She was in _Illinois_, for heaven's sake! She would have to travel halfway around the world to see Rick!

"Unless there is another Cairo that I have not heard of," the warden said dryly. "Well, that would be all. Good day to you, Miss O'Connell, and I look forward to meeting you soon."

Click. He had hung up on her.

Irene dazedly wandered into the kitchen of her tiny apartment, dug out a small bottle of beer from her stores, and chucked it down in one giant gulp. Drinking was something she took great pride in - Rick often commented how he could never imagine a lady such as herself drink - and she decided that it was a compliment and not an insult.

Tears began to roll down her cheeks.

She missed him terribly, and of course she was worried about him now. She didn't think there would be a way for her to get him out of prison, but she still hoped that by some miracle, the warden would change his mind and spare Rick from his horrid fate...

* * *

"Ah! Miss O'Connell! There you are!" the warden made his way over to her with a huge smile plastered on his face.

Irene nodded to him in greeting, wrinkling her nose in a very unladylike way as she took in his appearance. He was short and chubby, and there was some awful smell radiating off him. She decided that she didn't like him, not one bit, and especially because _he_ was the one who told her the news that Rick was in prison.

"Here I am," she agreed politely, knowing that if she was to have any chance negotiating with him, she would have to play nice.

"Welcome, welcome!" He led her away from the prison's entrance and towards Rick's cell.

Irene found herself holding her breath as she neared, and her eyes widened in surprise as the guards brought out the man that was her brother. He looked completely different from when she saw him last: his hair had grown longer and was extremely messy, and he could certainly use a bath. The clothing he had on was torn, accentuating the muscles on his arms and chest.

She blinked twice to make sure that she wasn't seeing things. "R-Rick?" she asked hesitantly, taking a step toward him. Tears were threatening to spill from her eyes again.

He turned his head in her direction, and a smirk spread across his face when he recognized her. "The one and only," he responded, grinning at her in the way that she loved and missed so much. "If I wasn't behind these bars, I would give you a hug, Rena! And, well...how have you been?"

"How have I been? How have _I _been? You don't contact me for five years, and when I do get news of you it's because you're in _prison_! Do you have any idea how worried I was? And you're asking how _I _have been?" Irene burst out, unable to keep everything inside herself any longer. Seeing him now was making it even harder for her, and she wanted nothing more than to slap some sense into him.

Rick made a face at her outburst. He knew that she raised her voice only when she was upset, and right now, he could tell that she was _extremely _upset. "Saying 'sorry' won't make you feel any better, would it?" he asked apologetically.

Irene rubbed her eyes and tried to hide the tears that were now rolling down her cheeks. "Saying 'sorry' isn't going to get you out of prison, Richard O'Connell! Didn't you hear what the warden said? You're going to be hanged!"

She sank to her knees and clutched Rick's cell bars to support herself. He reached a hand out and gently laid it over hers, giving her a reassuring squeeze. "You've been fine all these years without me, Rena. I know you'll be fine - "

"NO!" she interrupted him, knowing full well what he was about to say next, "Don't finish that sentence! You can't die, Rick! You can't!" she wailed.

"Get him inside!" the warden commanded sharply when he saw that Irene was about to break down, and the prison guards immediately did as they were told. Irene protested, reaching her hand toward her brother, but her attempts were futile. "Miss, please recompose yourself! I know it must be hard, but what's done is done. O'Connell will have one last visitor before it's time."

She lifted her head. Who did he know that would be so important as to visit him? "M-May I stay?" she asked. She didn't care for how long, but she wanted to stay with Rick for as long as possible.

The warden shrugged. "As long as you don't make a scene."

Irene nodded, and held onto the cell bars tightly as he headed off to collect Rick's last visitors. She watched as the warden returned with a woman and a man following him.

"You told me that you got it on a dig down in Thebes!" the woman was saying with a light British accent as the pair came within earshot. Irene noted that she was rather pretty with curly light brown hair and dark-colored eyes, not to mention that she appeared to be well-mannered.

"Yeah, well, I was mistaken," the man that accompanied her replied hastily.

The woman glared at him with accusing eyes. "You lied to me!"

"I lie to everybody, what makes you so special?" the man defended himself.

"I am your sister!" she retorted indignantly.

Irene winced, recalling the times when she had shared similar disputes with Rick. _  
_

"Yes, well, that just makes you more gullible," the man pointed out.

"Jonathan, you stole it from a drunk at the local casbah?!"

"Picked his pocket, actually, so I don't think - " at this, the man named Jonathan wheeled his sister around in an attempt to escape from the scene.

The woman was clearly unhappy with her brother's actions and turned him back in the direction of the prison cells. "Jonathan, will you stop being so ridiculous!" In a louder tone, she addressed the warden: "Now, what exactly is this man in prison for?"

The warden half-glanced at Irene, reminding her of the similar conversation they had had over the phone. "Well, this I do not know. But when I heard you were coming, I asked him that myself."

"And what did he say?" the woman asked curiously, nodding to Irene in greeting as she noticed that she was there.

"He said, he was just...'looking for a good time'," the warden and Irene answered simultaneously, Irene sighing as she spoke.

"You are...?" the woman gestured to Irene curiously.

Irene gave her a small wave in greeting. "Irene O'Connell. His sister."

"Ah," said Jonathan, nodding as though it all made sense to him now.

The door opened then, revealing Rick once again, and he was struggling with the guards as they brought him out. "Still here, Rena?" he addressed her, earning himself another smack from the guards. He grimaced, and Irene winced too, knowing how much it must be hurting him despite him refusing to show it.

"Yes, but I'm not your visitor this time," she told him, stepping to the side so the two siblings would have their chance to speak to him. She wasn't going to allow herself to cry in front of so many strangers again.

"T-This is...this is the man that you stole it from?" the woman asked with disbelief, clearly stunned by Rick's appearance and how different his wild look was compared to Irene.

Jonathan smiled nervously as he suggested, "Yes, exactly, so why don't we just go and sniff out some - "

"Who are you?" Rick demanded rudely, interrupting Jonathan. He then shifted his focus to the woman and asked, "and who's the broad?"

Irene groaned at Rick's lack of manners.

The woman didn't appear to be happy at being addressed in such fashion as she echoed "Broad?" and looked at Jonathan, who was busy trying to explain who he was: "Well, I-I'm, I'm...I'm just a local sort of missionary chap, spreading the good word and all that, but this is my sister, Evie..." he pulled her forward slightly.

"How do you do?" she asked politely.

Rick studied her before replying, "Yeah, well, guess she's not a total loss." Irene moaned and buried her head in her hands, wanting desperately to kick him. If he wanted any chance of getting out, the least he could do was act civil!

"I beg your pardon?" Evie was positively glowering at his words.

Angry shouts came from the other end of the prison, coincidentally sparing Rick from Evie's wrath. "I'll be back in a moment," the warden informed the group quickly and left to check on what had happened.

"Ask him about the box," Jonathan hissed to his sister as soon as the warden had gone.

"Um," Evie began hesitantly, trying to figure out the best way to explain why she was there, but Rick's attention was focused on the now-absent warden. "We, um, found - hello, excuse me - " she said loudly, causing Rick to turn back to her. "Um, we both found your - your puzzle box, and we've come to ask you about it..."

Irene briefly wondered when Rick had started taking interest in puzzles.

Rick didn't hesitate with his reply. "No."

"No?" Evie repeated.

"No," Rick confirmed with a shake of his head. "You came to ask me about Hamunaptra."

Irene froze as she recognized the name. She recalled in the last conversation she had with him - which was five years ago - that he had mentioned something about wanting to find a place called Hamunaptra when he went off to Egypt.

"H-How do you know that the box pertains to Hamunaptra?" Evie asked.

"Because that was where I was when I found it. I was _there_," Rick said slowly, as though he was talking to a three-year-old.

Jonathan frowned, leaning closer. "How do we know that's not a load of pigs' wallow?"

It was Rick's turn to frown as he got a closer look at Jonathan. "Do I know you?"

"No, no, no," Jonathan said quickly, clearly realizing where the question was going. "I've...I've just got one of those faces - "

Rick didn't wait for him to finish before he punched Jonathan in the face, causing Jonathan to loose his balance and collapse onto the ground.

"Richard O'Connell!" Irene yelled, glaring furiously at him - he had just basically sentenced himself to death! There was absolutely no way the siblings would rescue him now.

The guards responded to the attack with a particularly painful strike to Rick's back. _Serves him right, the idiot_, Irene thought in annoyance.

Jonathan being attacked, however, appeared to be the least of Evie's worries. "Don't worry about Jonathan, Irene," she said. "He'll be fine...I think."

"You think? Shouldn't you be worried that Rick punched him?" Irene couldn't help asking. The woman definitely needed to sort out her priorities.

"Knowing Jonathan, he probably deserved it," she said before she stepped over him and carefully approached Rick. "You were actually _at _Hamunaptra?" she asked eagerly.

Irene didn't like the mischievous smile that was now spreading across Rick's face once he saw that she was completely unconcerned about Jonathan. He was probably scheming something, and whatever it was, it was definitely bad.

"Yeah, I was there," he said, still smiling.

"You _swear_?" Evie asked.

"Every damn day," Rick replied, throwing in a 'damn' for good measure.

Irene felt like crying again. Even this close to death, Rick was still making jokes just like how he used to.

"No, I didn't mean that," Evie said, too excited over the fact that he had been to Hamunaptra to realize that he was actually joking.

"No, I know what you meant," Rick agreed with a grin. "I was there. Seti's place; 'city of the dead'." He made mysterious hand motions to add affect.

By this point, Evie was stumbling over her words in excitement. "C-Could you - could you tell me how to get there?"

Rick raised his eyebrows as the warden's angry yells rose in volume, and Evie blocked the view with her hat so it wouldn't distract him. "I mean, the exact location," she elaborated, leaning even closer toward him.

"You want to know?" Rick confirmed.

"Well - well, yes." Evie continued moving closer to the cell.

"You _really _want to know?" Rick asked, beckoning her closer, and Irene could tell that he was just teasing her.

They were certainly rather close now, as Evie answered his question with another "Yes". Rick took the opportunity to grab her and pull her to the bars and planted a kiss right on her mouth.

"Then get me the hell out of here!" he said, letting go of her as the guards sprung to action. Rick fought back, striking a guard with his elbow before he added "Do it, lady!" to Evie and shot a final look at Irene.

The door closed behind him.

"Where are they taking him?" Evie demanded, still slightly taken aback at by the fact that he had just kissed her.

Irene felt tears spring from her eyes, and she hastily brushed them away when she saw that the warden had returned. "T-To be hanged," she informed Evie in a trembling voice.

"Apparently, he had a _very _good time," the warden added with a glance at the Englishwoman.

"You've got to do something!" Irene said desperately.

"How can we be sure that he's telling the truth?" Evie pressed.

"My brother isn't one to break his word," Irene said, choosing her words carefully. "If he said he would take you to Hamunaptra should you save him, then I swear that he will. If not...there's always me. I'm not much, but feel free to use me as liaison should the need ever arise."

She blinked. "You would offer yourself as trade?"

Irene nodded and said as firmly as she could, "I have faith in my brother. I know he'll keep his promise."

Evie smiled softly and gently touched Irene's hand with her own. "I know how you feel, Miss O'Connell. I can't promise anything, but I will do my best to save him from his horrid fate."

"Thank you," Irene said, deciding that she was already beginning to like the woman. It was no surprise that Rick would kiss her.

She knew it was already far more than she could ask for - she had never expected that someone would be able to save him, and while whatever happens would ultimately be up to the warden, at least Evie had tried.

And for that, Irene would always be grateful.

* * *

A/n: Leave a review and let me know what you think? Is it worth continuing?


	2. The Price of Freedom

Disclaimer: If I owned even a morsel of the franchise, Ardeth would not be single at the end of the movie. So no, I do not own anything. /sob/

* * *

It was too painful to watch.

Irene, sitting beside Evie and the warden, couldn't help covering her face with her hand as the guard led Rick onto the hanging stage. She almost didn't want to come at all, but she wanted to stay with him for as long as possible.

She absently tugged at a strand of her dirty blond hair with her free hand - it was a nasty habit of hers to play with her hair when she was extremely nervous. In fact, Rick had often jokingly warned her that she would pull all of her hair out from worrying too much, and she remembered fondly how her response had always been "From worrying about _you_ all the time!" That rendered him speechless.

"I will give you one hundred pounds to save this man's life!" Evie said quickly, snapping Irene out of her reminiscing and reminding her of their current situation.

_There's still hope_, Irene told herself firmly. _Don't give up. Not yet. _

"Madame. I would _pay _one hundred pounds just to see him hanged," the warden argued back, gesturing Rick's muscular form.

Irene opened her mouth, but then thought better of it. If whatever she said made him angry, then there was absolutely no chance for him to be freed. It wasn't worth the risk.

"Two! Two hundred pounds!" Evie cried, raising the price in an attempt to persuade him.

The warden didn't even budge. "Proceed!"

"Three hundred pounds!" Evie offered, raising the price even higher.

The man tightened the rope around Rick's neck and whispered something into his ear. Irene saw Rick's mouth move in response to whatever he had said, but she was too far away to hear them. The man called up to the warden in Arabic (only in times like these Irene wished that she knew how to speak the language), who promptly replied "Of course we don't let him go!"

"So much for three hundred pounds," Irene said to Evie as the man smacked Rick in the back of his head.

"Even three hundred isn't enough?" Evie groaned, looking at Irene helplessly.

Irene could tell that Evie was hesitating, deciding whether she could afford to raise the amount or not. While Irene herself didn't possess all that much money - not to mention she had just recently quit her job as an assistant in a hair salon - combining what she had with Evie might just be enough to save Rick. "I can pay, too," she told Evie, unable to hide the desperation in her voice. They were running out of time.

Evie nodded. "Five hundred pounds!" she said finally.

The warden held out a hand for the man to pause. "And what else?" he asked suggestively, running a hand along Evie's thigh. "I am a very lonely man."

Without thinking, Evie slapped his hand away with her pocketbook, causing laughter to erupt from the watching inmates. Irene too would have joined in had it been a very different situation, but she knew that, at this point, Rick's fate was sealed. The warden definitely wouldn't consider letting him go now.

With a final angry command from the warden, Rick was dropped.

"NO!" Irene cried, completely covering her eyes with her her hands. There was no way she was watching _this_!

However - perhaps it was a miracle after all - Irene did not hear the thud that was sure to follow, and the warden's laugh of "Aha! His neck did not break!" confirmed it. Rick was, somehow, still alive.

Irene permitted herself to peek at Rick through her fingers, and she wished at once that she hadn't looked. Compared to breaking his neck...this was even worse. Every struggle was unbearable to watch, knowing that it could be his last. Irene's heart ached for him.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," the warden said gleefully, clearly enjoying the scene unfolding beneath him. "Now we must watch him..._strangle _to death."

The inmates began chanting, their voices raising in volume as Rick continued struggling for his life.

Evie watched Rick with her eyes wide, her mind whirling as she tried to think of something that would appeal to the warden. She turned to Irene and mouthed a single word, "Hamunaptra?"

Irene understood her question, knowing that she was asking whether they should tell him about the city and offer its treasures to him. It was the only option that might work now, and even if Rick wouldn't think that it was a good idea, if it could save his life, then that was all that mattered. Irene gave Evie one, tiny nod, and that was all the encouragement Evie needed.

"He knows the location to Hamunaptra!" she blurted.

The warden turned to her almost at once. "You lie," he accused.

"I would _never_!" Evie said, disgusted at the thought.

"She's right!" Irene agreed hurriedly. If Rick was to be saved, then it was now or never. "He knows the location because he's been there himself!"

The warden gestured to Rick. "Are you telling me this filthy, godless, son-of-a-_pig _knows where to find the city of the dead? Truly?"

Irene bit back an angry retort. _Calm down, _she thought, taking a deep breath. A_rguing with him now will do no good! Not when we're so close to finally saving Rick! __  
_

"Yes!" Evie said, in response to the warden's question. Irene nodded in agreement, but she remained quiet. She was worried that she might end up saying something unwelcoming should she open her mouth. "And if you cut him down we will give you - " Evie turned and looked at Rick, as though seeing him struggling was what gave her the strength to continue. " - ten percent," she finished, turning back to the warden.

"Fifty percent," the warden argued greedily.

"Twenty," Evie protested.

The warden, unfortunately, was still not satisfied with the low percentage. "Forty!"

"Thirty!" Evie suggested, just as he decided on "Twenty five!"

"Ah!" Evie cried triumphantly, noticing his error. "Deal!"

The warden realized his mistake too late, but the deal was already done. With a groan, he yelled out "Cut him down!", and Rick landed onto the ground.

Evie stood up, satisfied, and Irene flung her arms around her in gratitude. "Oh, thank you, thank you!" she sobbed, feeling her knees give away as she relaxed for the first time in a long while.

The other woman patted Irene on the back. "It's the least I can do, Miss O'Connell...I understand how you must be feeling at the moment, seeing your brother so close to death. I would hate for the same to happen to Jonathan."

Irene pulled away from the hug and wiped her eyes. "Call me Irene, Miss...?"

"I don't believe we have been properly introduced," she mused, taking Irene's hand. " Carnahan. Evelyn Carnahan."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Evelyn," Irene said formally, but she couldn't stop a large smile from spreading across her face. It was the first time she had felt so happy in a long while.

* * *

"And it's done!" Irene finished proudly, cutting off the last stubborn curl in Rick's hair.

Now that he was free from prison, Rick desperately needed a makeover - and Irene offered to help, as she had earned a bit of experience from her previous job at a salon. It also meant that they could finally spend time together.

"I've meant to ask," Rick began, running a hand through his now-fixed hair, "How has things been with that job of yours?"

"Oh, that..." Irene laughed as she set the scissors onto the table. "I, well, I kind of...quit the job."

He whipped his head around and stared at her. "No way," he insisted. "Didn't you tell me the last time we spoke that you finally found a job that you loved?"

"But that was...let me see, five years ago, Rick. A person's taste can change quite a bit in five years, you know," she informed him with a grin. "But that wasn't exactly why I decided to quit. The boss was, uh, acting like an idiot - "

"Don't tell me he was making moves on you?" Rick yelled furiously, clenching his hand into a fist. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? I would've given him a punch he would've remembered for a long time!"

Irene shook her head and gave him a stern look. "First of all, you weren't exactly with me at the time. And second of all, punching him would've landed you in prison. What would I have done then? I don't think Evelyn would've been there to save you."

Rick sighed, disappointed that he wouldn't be able to get revenge. "You're probably right," he said. "Still, I sure am lucky having you around, Rena. Free haircuts!"

"Giving free haircuts to people isn't going to make me rich, Rick," Irene pointed out. "Anyway, I can't wait to see the look on Evie's face when she sees you at the port!"

"Who said anything about you coming with me to Hamunaptra?" Rick asked sharply. "There's a whole lot of evil hidden beneath that sand, Rena. There's no way I'm letting you anywhere near that place!"

"Who said anything about _not _letting me go with you?" Irene retorted, folding her arms across her chest. "This is my life, and I can live it how I please! Besides, I've lost you once, Rick. I don't want to lose you again. I am not letting you out of my sight again! What about Evie? _She_'s going, isn't she?"

Rick huffed in annoyance. "Her going there is different! _You_ don't have to go, Rena! Can't you just stay here so I'll know that you're safe?"

Irene glared at him. The one thing she couldn't stand was when he jumped into protective mode, and her mind whirled as she tried to think of something persuasive that would make him give in. "I'm not safe anywhere unless I'm with you!"

Her words made him hesitate, and, after a long pause, he reluctantly grumbled, "You...you do have a point, Rena. Oh, alright, you can come. But promise me that you will _always_ be within my sight?"

Irene beamed, pleased with his answer. "I promise I'll always be close to you, Rick. I just...want to spend as much time as I can with you. It has been a long time since we last saw each other, after all."

"Of course," he assented, pulling her into his arms for a hug. "Sorry I was a little harsh. I've missed you, Rena."

"And I you," she said warmly, burying her head into his chest. "I've been worried about you, Rick! I'm so very glad that you're here with me...just don't do anything that would land you in prison again!"

"I won't," Rick promised, hugging her closer. But Irene still heard what he said next, despite him muttering it so quietly, and his words made her shiver. "If we can make it out of there, that is..."

* * *

Irene and Rick caught up to the Carnahans at Giza Port just as they heard Evie remark to Jonathan, "Well, personally, I think he's filthy, rude, a complete scoundrel. I don't like him one bit. Irene is a different question, though..."

"Anyone I know?" Rick cut in, jogging up to the siblings.

Evie, just as Irene had suspected, was at a loss for words as she took in Rick's appearance. Her mouth dropped open in amazement.

"You better appreciate it, woman," Irene muttered, "after all the hard work I've put in."

Evie flushed at Irene's comment, and the only thing that she managed to say without embarrassing herself was "O-Oh..." Evie set her luggage onto the ground so she wouldn't lose her balance due to its heavy weight. "Um...hello."

It was Jonathan who spared his sister from having anymore awkward moments. "Smashing day to start our adventure, eh, O'Connell?" he asked, patting Rick's chest before shaking his hand in greeting. He then turned and, wagging his eyebrows, extended a hand to Irene, but at Rick's warning glare, he quickly retracted it.

_Honestly_, Irene complained silently, sharing a look with Evie, _I'm going to stay single for the rest of my life if Rick's going to scare all the men away!_

"Yeah, yeah. Smashing," Rick agreed coolly to Jonathan's remark, the warning in his tone still present. It practically screamed '_Don't touch my sister, or you'll regret it!_' He then pulled his wallet out to check that it was still there.

"Oh, no, no! I'd never steal from my partner. Partner," Jonathan said quickly, tapping Rick lightly and causing him to chuckle with amusement.

"That reminds me. No hard feelings about the - " he mock-punched Jonathan to remind him.

Jonathan waved his hand dismissively. "Oh, no, no. Happens all the time."

"I can imagine," Irene commented dryly.

Jonathan let out a laugh. "Ah, well, I wouldn't mind it so much if you were the one inflicting the damage, Miss O'Connell."

Irene gasped and covered her mouth with her hands, pretending that she was horrified at the thought. "Oh, my, whatever would you have done to deserve something as awful as _me _punching you, Mr. Carnahan? And, uh, let me just warn you that before I can do any damage...Rick would probably beat me to it," she added as she noted the furious glares Rick was giving them.

"You got that right," Rick put in, giving Jonathan's arm a warning squeeze. Jonathan smiled nervously and hurried to stand beside Evie so Rick wouldn't be able to threaten him any further.

Luckily, Evie was clever enough to change to subject. "Mr. O'Connell, can you look me in the eye and guarantee me that this isn't all some kind of a...a flimflam, because if it is, I am warning you I will - "

Rick raised his eyebrows. "_You're _warning _me_? Lady, let me put it this way. My whole damn garrison believed in this so much that without orders, they marched halfway across Libya and into Egypt to find that city. And when we got there, all we found was sand, and blood. Let me get your bags." He bent down and picked them up and, without another word, marched up the plank.

"Rick!" Irene called after him, but he ignored her and did not look back. "How many times must I tell him to mind his manners?" she groaned.

"Compared to him, I must be a gentleman, Miss O'Connell," Jonathan teased. "And yes, yes, you're right, Evie. He's filthy, rude, a complete scoundrel. Nothing to like there at all."

But the look Evie gave him suggested otherwise. Before she could speak, another voice interrupted them in the form of the warden's greeting: "Bright, good morning to all."

"Oh, no, what are you doing here?" Evie asked, not sounding very happy at the fact that he had now joined them.

The warden began boarding the boat, but not before he called back down to them, "I'm here to protect my investment, thank you very much!"

The Carnahans sighed.

"As much as I hate to suggest this, but you two wouldn't mind if we just left him in the desert?" Irene asked dryly, watching the warden as he disappeared from her sight.

"Gladly," Jonathan said immediately, and even Evie smiled at that.

_Well, _Irene thought as she too began boarding the boat, _this will be a long journey. I do hope it was worth coming with_ them...

Either way, she was here with them now, and Irene decided that whatever was going to happen, she was going to stay with Rick until the very end.

* * *

A/n: Leave a review and let me know what you think?

Special thanks to The Queen of Water, Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967, Brunette, and princesskitty68 for reviewing!


	3. Unexpected Guests

Disclaimer: There's a reason why this is on a _fanfiction _site...

* * *

"Looks like we're not the only Americans around here," Rick remarked later that night, once they had settled down into their rooms.

Irene, who had gone to pay her brother a visit, was busy taking in Rick's room, and tutted with disapproval when she saw how messy it was. She picked up a spare shirt that had been carelessly thrown aside and hung it back where it belonged.

"What do you mean?" she asked as she went about with her task, rather surprised that there would be others heading in the same direction they were.

Rick took her hand. "It's better if I show you," he said, and, despite her protesting that she hadn't finished cleaning his room, led her onto the boat's deck and nodded at the group of men playing cards. They were speaking in a way that was rather familiar to Irene, and she realized that Rick was right - they were indeed Americans. "_That_'s what I mean, Rena."

"You didn't have to take me out to show me," she complained, and turned to go back and finish cleaning his room.

Before she could take a step, however, Jonathan noticed them and called out in a cheerful manner: "Ah, O'Connell! Sit down, sit down, we could use another player!"

Irene exchanged a glance with Rick, wondering which O'Connell he was referring to - that tended to happen a lot when the two of them went out together. "He probably means you," she pointed out.

"Unfortunately," he agreed, and promptly declined the invitation with "I only gamble with my life, never my money."

"What about that lovely lady you have there?" one of them called out, causing Irene to squirm uncomfortably and shift closer to Rick. Jonathan was one thing, but these men were completely different, and Irene didn't know whether she should trust them yet.

"No, thank you," Irene said, and, giving Rick a glance, added, "Unlike Rick, I don't gamble with my life _or _my money. Not to mention gambling is hardly suitable for a lady."

Being the protective brother he is, Rick moved so that he stood in front of her and blocked her from them. "_This _lovely lady I have here is my sister, and if you even _think_ about doing something remotely inappropriate to her, you will have my guns to answer to," he warned.

"Lighten up, will you?" another man commented lightly. "Henderson was only having a bit of fun. But all joking aside, what if I was to bet you five hundred dollars says we get to Hamunaptra before you?"

Rick stiffened. "You're looking for Hamunaptra?"

"Damn straight we are," Henderson, the man who had teased Irene, responded at once, sounding quite smug. Irene decided that she didn't like him - especially his attitude - and made a mental note to avoid him when she could.

"And...who says we are?" Rick continued.

All three Americans pointed at Jonathan and said simultaneously, "He does!"

"Typical," Irene mumbled.

Jonathan chuckled nervously and shrugged. "Well, how 'bout it?" he asked Rick.

"Is it a bet?" the man who had suggested the deal asked, raising an eyebrow as though he was daring Rick to refuse.

Rick frowned thoughtfully before finally saying, "Alright, you're on."

This time, another man, sitting slightly away from the three Americans, spoke up. "What makes you so confident, sir?"

"What makes you?" Rick returned.

"We've got us a man who's actually been there," Henderson said, grinning broadly.

"Oh, what a coincidence! Because O'Connell - " Jonathan began, but he was quickly cut off as Rick swung his bag over his shoulder and hit Jonathan in the back of his head, wordlessly telling him to keep quiet. "Whose play is it? Is it my play? I thought I just...um..."

Rick bent close to Jonathan and squeezed his shoulder warningly. "Gentlemen, we've got us a wager. Good evening, Jonathan...Come on, let's get out of here, Irene."

"I'd be happy to," Irene said dryly, and quickly followed her brother, who led her towards the boat's back and away from the men. She really didn't care where they were going as long as they weren't close to _them_.

It was there they found Evie, paying close attention to a book she was reading. She let out a startled gasp when Rick flung his bag onto the table.

"Sorry," Rick said, making a face. "Didn't mean to scare ya."

"The only thing that scares me, Mr. O'Connell, are your manners," she said indignantly.

Irene had to agree with Evie. "Couldn't have said that better," she put in, earning herself an annoyed look from Rick. "It's true," she protested. "I'm sure you wouldn't end up in prison so often if only you would mind your manners."

"Speaking of prison...so you're still angry about that kiss, huh?" Rick asked.

"If you call _that _a kiss," Evie snorted.

Rick clearly didn't like her comment, and in response, he threw his bag onto her table, unrolling it to reveal the weapons hidden within. This seemed to catch her attention, and Evie hesitantly set her book down to inspect the bag's contents. "Um, did I miss something? Are we going into battle?"

Irene was reminded of the words Rick had said to her and how he had insisted that she stayed behind. _He really was serious_, she realized.

"Lady," he began as he sat down, preparing a handgun before storing it into his vest. "There's something out there. Something underneath that sand...Which is precisely why I didn't want Irene to come."

"Oh, we're not going over _that _again," Irene said immediately, and tried to kick him under the table - but missed her mark and instead felt her foot crash with the table's leg. She yelped in pain and gave him a reproachful glare.

"You're too sweet for your own good, Rena," Rick said fondly. "You can't hurt a fly even if you _want _to."

"Shut up, will you?" Irene grumbled.

Evie smiled slightly as she watched them, and when she caught Irene's eye, she quickly changed the subject. "I'm sure it's not that bad...I'm hoping to find a certain artifact. A book, actually. My brother thinks there's treasure. What...what do you think is out there?" she asked, curiously picking out a hook from Rick's bag.

"In a word? Evil," Rick answered, causing Irene to shiver. As far as she remembered, she had never heard Rick sound so serious before. "The Bedouin and the Tuaregs believe that Hamunaptra is cursed." He leaned forward and snatched the hook out of her hand.

"Oh, look, I don't believe in fairy tales and hokum, Mr. O'Connell, but...I-I do believe that one of the most famous books in history is buried out there. The book of Amun-Ra. It contains within it all the secret incantations of the old kingdom," Evie explained excitedly. "It's what first interested me in Egypt when I was a child. It's...it's why I came here. Sort of a...a life's pursuit."

Rick picked up another gun and began wiping it with a towel. "And the fact that they say that it's made out of pure gold makes no never mind to you, right?"

"You know your history," Evie said approvingly.

"Knowing my brother, the gold interests him far more than its historical value," Irene told her, giving Rick a triumphant smile. She hadn't forgotten their earlier incident when he had teased her about being too soft.

Rick cocked his gun and glared at her, but she just blinked back at him innocently.

Evie paused before she spoke hesitantly. "Um...by the way, why did you kiss me?"

_He actually has the nerve to laugh_, Irene groaned as Rick said casually, "I was about to be hanged, it seemed like a good idea at the time."

Evie let out an angry "Omph!" and stalked away. Irene definitely didn't blame her for leaving - she wouldn't have wanted to hear _that _answer, either.

"What?" Rick called after her, but when she didn't reply, he turned to Irene and asked, "What did I say?"

"I wouldn't have said that if I were you," was the only thing Irene could think of that would make even a bit of sense to him. "Men," she muttered, shaking her head.

Rick opened his mouth, about to speak, but a high-pitch "Oh!" interrupted them. Rick followed the noise and nodded at the shadow of a man, hiding between some luggage. He motioned Irene to keep back before he grabbed the man's shirt and hoisted him out of his hiding place.

"W-What a surprise! My good friend, you're alive!" the man stammered as Rick pushed him against the wall, "I was so very, very, worried."

"Well, if it ain't my little buddy Beni," Rick said, and pointed a handgun at his chest, "I think I'll kill you!"

Irene wondered what the man did to earn _that _sort of greeting, and she was very glad that Evie wasn't around to witness such a scene. She figured that the man, Beni, probably knew Rick from the days when he had been a part of the French Foreign Legion - which was something she had not been very happy about when she learned that he had joined, but Rick wouldn't let her talk him out of it...Something about pride and impressing French girls, she remembered from their argument.

She wished she would have continued insisting that he shouldn't have gone - it was because of that he ceased contact with her. The years following his absence were awful, leading her to quit her salon job due to her foul mood and disagreements with her boss. She definitely didn't mind coming with Rick to Hamunaptra: she could really use some treasure.

_Well, _she mused, _there's no point thinking about the past now. At least the future looks bright...uh, not exactly, seeing how Rick is convinced that there is evil in our path. But I'm just glad that I'm with him again. _

"Think of my children," Beni defended, bringing Irene back to the present.

"You don't _have _any children," Rick snapped.

"Someday I might," Beni said, with a dreamy glance at Irene. "So that's your sister?"

"Don't even think about it," Rick spat, tightening his grip on Beni's shirt. Irene would have felt sorry for him had he not said what he did. "So _you're _the one leading the Americans. I might have known," he realized suddenly. "So what's the scam, Beni? You take them out into the middle of the desert, and then you leave them to _rot_?"

_So Rick must know him very well, _Irene thought. Out loud, she said, "No wonder you don't have any children", which caused him to wince.

"Not with people like those Americans," he said sadly. "They're very smart. They pay me only half now, half when I get them back to Cairo, so this time I must go all the way."

"Them's the breaks, huh?" Rick remarked, sounding as though he perfectly understood Beni's pain, but Irene could tell he was only pretending.

"You never believed in Hamunaptra, O'Connell," Beni said. "Why are you going back?"

They both turned to see Evie patting a camel lovingly. "See that girl? She saved my neck," Rick answered shortly. Evie noticed them watching, and without another word, walked away, clearly still angry with Rick.

"Good luck with that, dear brother," Irene said, waving a hand in Evie's direction. At his look, she pointed out, "You brought this upon yourself, you know."

Beni patted Rick and said knowingly, "You always did have more balls than brains." He let out a laugh, and Rick laughed with him, pretending to have forgiven him by flinging an arm around Beni's shoulder.

"Goodbye, Beni," Rick said with a smirk, and threw the man over the side of the ship.

Rick ignored Beni's strangled cries of "O'Connell!" and returned to sorting his collection of weapons. For once, Irene chose not to scold him, as she had no idea what kind of relationship he had had with Beni and what Beni had done for Rick to dislike him so much."Well, now that _that_'s over," Rick began cheerfully to Irene, but froze when he saw wet footprints on the deck.

He glanced over the boat's side, but when he didn't see anything, placed a finger onto his lips and began to follow the footprints. Irene saw with dread that they were leading directly towards Evelyn's room, and she squeezed Rick's hand, fearing that even a single word would cause the intruder to attack. "Evelyn," she mouthed to him once he had her attention, and Rick, getting her message, nodded.

He quickened his pace and burst into her room, shouting out "Evelyn!" as he saw the man in black holding onto her. Irene gasped and ducked behind Rick. Evie smiled in relief when she saw Rick, but the man quickly grabbed her and pressed a hook against her throat.

"Rick, look out!" Irene screamed when she saw the room's window swing open, revealing another man dressed in black. Rick turned and aimed his guns at him instead, before shooting down the lamp and causing a fire to start on the couch.

With some quick-thinking, Evie took a candle off the table and struck her attacker in the eye, managing to escape his grasp as he howled in pain. Irene let out a sigh of relief, glad that Evie was no longer held captive. Evie and Irene hid behind Rick as he continued shooting at the men emerging from the window, and he moved across the room so they could escape.

Evie began running as soon as they were out the door, but she shrieked and abruptly turned back. "The map, the map, I forgot the map!" she said wildly as she ran.

"Relax," Rick said, taking her hand and stopping her from going back, "I'm the map. It's all up here," he added, pointing to his head.

"Oh, that's comforting," Evie commented sarcastically as he pulled her along.

"His memory's not that bad, actually," Irene reassured her, hoping that she wouldn't return to the burning room.

Evie still looked doubtful as she said, "Well, if you say so..."

"Hold on to this," Rick said as he led them back onto the deck. He snatched his weapon bag off the table and threw it at Evie, and she gasped at its weight. He began refelling his handgun, not caring at all as bullets from the men in black struck dangerously close. Evie grabbed his shirt and yanked him to the side, narrowly avoiding a bullet as it zoomed at them.

Rick - now that his guns ready - began shooting at the attacking men while Evie and Irene followed faithfully behind. "Can you swim?" Rick yelled at Evie, raising his voice so he could be heard.

"Of course I can swim if the occasion calls for it!" Evie yelled back.

"Trust me," Rick said, lifting her into the air, "It calls for it!" He didn't hesitate as he threw her into the water. "You next, Irene!"

"I don't need - " she began, about to tell him that she didn't need him to throw her, but she didn't get a chance to finish before he grabbed her around the waist and threw her after Evie.

Irene let out a gasp as she hit the water below, and shouted back up at Rick angrily, "I could've done it without your help!" Rick, of course, couldn't hear her over the commotion on the boat, and, with a sigh of defeat, she turned and swam after Evie.

_Don't take too long_, she begged Rick silently, flinching as she heard screams come from the boat. _Come back to me, Rick! _

* * *

A/n: I actually had some issues with this chapter, which is why it took a bit longer (especially the interactions Irene had with the Americans). Hopefully it turned out alright - leave a review and let me know what you think?

I completely forgot to label this as Ardeth/OC. oops. 8D

Special thanks to The Queen of Water, Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967, Brunette, and princesskitty68 for reviewing! Thank you all for supporting and liking the story!


	4. The Race for Hamunaptra

Disclaimer: There's a reason why this is on a _fanfiction _site...

* * *

Irene had just felt her foot touch the ground when she heard splashing behind her, and spun around to see Rick swimming toward her. "Rick, you're safe!" Irene exclaimed, and, forgetting where she was, ran toward him, but lost her footing and landed face-first into the water.

"Careful," he said, a minute too late. "It's a bit slippery here."

Irene coughed as he reached her and helped her up. "Thanks for the warning," she said sarcastically.

"We've lost everything," Evie complained as they began making their way to the shore, "All of our tools, all the equipment...all my clothes!"

"Mine too," Irene agreed, trying to squeeze excess water out of her periwinkle dress, but gave up when she saw that it would be useless.

Rick didn't get a chance to reply as a voice - which Irene recognized as Beni's - yelled smugly from the opposite bank, "O'Connell! Hey, O'Connell! It looks to me like I've got all the horses!"

"Hey Beni!" Rick yelled back, "Looks to me like you're on the wrong side of the river!"

Beni looked around, and when he realized that Rick was right, let out a string of curses and kicked the water in annoyance.

"You actually did him a favor," Irene told Rick dryly, waving a hand at Beni as she stumbled through the shallow water. "He got a head start in the water and avoided the battle."

Rick looked as though he was about to kill someone when the realization dawned upon him. "Damn," he cursed. "Should've just let one of those men kill him!" Irene opened her mouth, but before she could speak, she let out a sneeze, causing Rick to glance at her with concern. "And we should find you some dry clothes before you catch a cold," he added. "Come on, let's go."

* * *

"They're beautiful," Irene breathed with awe as she stared at the Bedouin dresses that had been laid out in front of her and Evie. They were in every shape and size, and as Irene ran her fingers through the soft material, she realized that she definitely wouldn't mind wearing them every day.

Evie nodded in agreement. "I wonder which one he would like?" she mumbled to herself, but Irene, standing next to her, heard the words perfectly.

She winked at Evie. "If you mean what I think you mean, I'd say black is a lovely color."

Evie blushed furiously as she bent down and selected the simple black gown Irene was referring to. The Bedouin women immediately offered to help her change, leaving Irene to pick out her own attire. She finally decided on a long, pale green dress with a v-neck and puffy sleeves that stopped short at her forearms, and thanked the Bedouin politely as they helped her dress.

It was then the Bedouin started yelling and slapping at something, and as Irene peered closer, she saw that the warden was trying to get a closer look at them. _Serves him right_! she thought, admiring the women as they pushed him out of the tent.

It didn't take the women long to finish their task, adding a final scarf to cover her mouth before leading her and Evie back to the men. Even from this far away, she could hear Jonathan arguing with the camel seller, and she shook her head with a sigh.

"We probably could have gotten them for free, all we had to do was give them your sister," she heard Rick joke to Jonathan as she came within earshot.

"Your sister would've worked well, too," Jonathan remarked when he saw Irene approach. "Awfully tempting, wasn't it?"

Rick, much to Irene's chagrin, chose not to comment on the fact that Jonathan had just suggested to trade her for the camels, and instead gaped at Evie with his mouth open. "Awfully," he agreed, nervously patting his camel as Evie smiled at him.

* * *

It didn't take them long to thank the Bedouin and set off into the desert.

"Never did like camels," Jonathan grumbled to no one in particular, "Filthy buggers. They smell, bite, they spit - " at that moment, the warden spat into the sand, leading Irene to wonder whether he was actually referring to the camels or the man. If he was talking about the warden, then Irene would have wholeheartedly agreed with him. She never did like him, and she hadn't forgotten that he was almost responsible for Rick's death. " - disgusting," Jonathan finished, and Irene found herself nodding to his words.

"I think they're adorable," Evie argued, and leaned forward to pet hers on the head.

The warden began singing in Arabic, and Irene turned and scowled at him as he spat again.

"I can see why you don't like him," Rick remarked quietly, nodding at the warden.

"How can anyone like him?" she hissed, keeping her voice low so he wouldn't hear them over his singing. "He almost killed you, Rick!"

Rick rubbed his neck, recalling the hanging with a grimace. "Well, I've _almost_ died quite a few times, actually, so I've learned to not hold a grudge against my almost-killers, or else I'll just end up hating...everybody."

"So you almost died while serving in the Legion?!" Irene exclaimed, raising her voice. "See, I told you you should've stayed out of it! If it wasn't for me worrying over you all the time, I would probably still have my job!"

He winced at her harsh tone. "_Shh_," he said, "Keep your voice down, Rena. My point is that I'm still alive, aren't I? No harm done. We're here together now, so we should just enjoy whatever time we have. Besides, if I hadn't gone to Hamunaptra, I would never have gotten the chance to meet Evelyn, I mean, the _Carnahans_."

"Yeah, well," Irene snorted, but she couldn't help forgiving him - he _was _her brother, after all, and no matter what stupid stunts he did next, she would always love him for who he was...And she found it incredibly sweet that he was developing a liking to Evie. "Just don't come crying to me if you almost die again."

"I won't," Rick promised with a smile, and leaned over to pat her on her shoulder.

They fell into a comfortable silence as the day ended and night began. Evie dozed off on her camel, and, with a moan, leaned her head against Rick's shoulder. He quietly set her up straight again, and shushed the camel as it grunted.

Irene, who had been nodding off, was awoken by the warden's yell of pain: Jonathan had slapped him. _He probably deserved it_, she thought, grinning at Jonathan in the dark, but neighing horses caused her smile to vanish as she followed Rick's look and saw the black figures watching them from afar.

"Are they...?" she whispered, careful not to disturb Evie.

Rick, knowing what she had meant to ask, nodded. "I believe so," he informed her. "Those guys never give up, do they?"

"I wonder what they're after?" Irene murmured, gazing up at the men.

There was something mysterious about them - this was definitely not something she would see everyday back home - and the secrets they seemed to be hiding were captivating her, drawing her to these strange men. They must have had a reason for attacking the ship, and they must have a reason to watch them now, and Irene was compelled to find these answers.

Perhaps then, she thought, once we know what they want and find a way to solve their problem, they might not need to fight anymore. She did prefer peace far more than war, after all.

Rick could only shake his head, unable to answer her. "I don't think they're the type who would share their secrets with you over a cup of coffee," he joked.

"You're right," she admitted, rather disappointed that she wouldn't be able to learn more about the men in black.

Her _brother_ must've detected the disappointment in her voice, for he squeezed her arm gently. "We have enough to worry about already," he reminded her. "Besides, you probably wouldn't be able to talk them out of killing even if you _could _have a conversation with them...and it's getting pretty late. Stop worrying about them and try to get some sleep, will you?"

Right on cue, Irene yawned. "Sleep does sound like a good idea," she mumbled, and, after bidding Rick good night, closed her eyes.

It didn't surprise her when the mysterious men in black haunted her dreams that night.

* * *

They met up with the Americans shortly before dawn, and Irene made a face as they approached - seeing the Americans first thing in the morning wasn't exactly her cup of tea.

"Good morning, my friends," Beni called to them in greeting.

Rick and Beni pulled their respective camels to a stop, forcing the others to stop as well. From the pained look on Rick's face, Irene could tell that he wasn't very happy about the current situation, and she didn't blame him - he must have had some horrible memories about the place.

"What the hell are we doing?" One man - Irene recognized him as the one who suggested the bet - asked impatiently.

"Patience, my good barat'm, patience," Beni answered.

"Remember our bet, O'Connell," Henderson called. "First one to the city, five hundred cash bucks!"

Irene rolled her eyes. "Yeah, like I would forget _that_ so easily," she muttered.

"A hundred of them bucks is yours if you help us win that bet," the first man added to Beni.

"Oh, my pleasure," Beni said, nodding in thanks before turning to address Rick with "Hey O'Connell! Nice camel!"

Irene's dislike for Rick's former friend and the Americans grew by the minute, but Rick only patted his camel on the back of its head in response. It was probably a wise move not to pick a fight with them now. "Get ready for it," Rick announced, tightening his grip on the harness.

Evie looked at Rick, then at the Americans, and back at Rick again. "For what?" she asked, unable to hide the curiosity in her voice.

"We're about to be shown the way," Rick explained, just as the sun began to rise.

"This - this is - " Irene began, but she couldn't find the exact words to describe what was happening, and was stunned into silence as the city shimmered into existence right before her eyes. A few years ago, if someone was to tell her that she would travel to a city only heard of in legends, she would have dismissed the idea without a second thought. But now...she never would have imagined that she would witness something so wonderful.

Henderson leaned forward to get a better look, as though he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing. "Will you look at that?" he asked, amazement evident in his words.

"Can you believe it?" the first man added, equally amazed by the scene unfolding in front of them.

"Hamunaptra," the third American whispered.

Rick, however, did not seem impressed. "Here we go again," he said with a sigh, but before he could say any more, Beni let out a yell and whipped his camel, sending it running toward the city. Rick, of course, would have none of it, and with a roar he raced after Beni.

"Geek geek geek geek!" Evie cried, ushering her camel forward.

"As much as I don't want to hurt you, I don't have another option," Irene apologized to her camel, before striking it with her whip and urging it on to catch up to her brother, who was now almost side by side with Beni.

As Rick finally caught up, Beni suddenly started hitting Rick with his whip, causing Rick to yell out "Ow!" at the contact. He tried to block the whip with his arm, but when that did not work, he grabbed Beni by his shirt. "So long, Beni," he said, and flung the man off his camel.

"Good one, Rick!" Irene cheered, beginning to see why her brother hated the man so much. She certainly didn't like him either.

"And that serves you right," Evie added as she raced past Beni. She whooped as her camel ran on, passing Irene and Rick, and became the first one to enter the city - leading them to win the bet.

"Hamunaptra," Irene breathed as her camel joined Evie and Rick inside the city. "We're here..." _  
_

* * *

A/n: I figured that it be a good idea if Irene actually had a reason (other than finding their chieftain attractive 8D) for being interested in the Medjai, so here it is...hopefully it's a good enough reason. And I have a good idea as to what their first meeting will be like... ;)

This is a shorter chapter since it was a good stopping point, but the next one will be longer.

Leave a review and let me know what you think?

Special thanks to The Queen of Water, Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967, Brunette, and princesskitty68 for reviewing! Thank you for your continued support! :)


	5. A Series of Unfortunate Events

Disclaimer: There's a reason why this is on a _fanfiction _site...

* * *

It didn't take long for them to set up camp and get to work. Irene, who had no expertise in the field of archeology - the only skill she possessed was that of haircutting, and she didn't think any mummy they discovered would appreciate a haircut - settled down not far from where her brother was tying a rope and opted to watch them instead of getting in their way.

The warden, peering into the hole that they would be entering, yelped when Rick's rope hit him in the head. He backed away carefully as the rope swung at him again and again. Irene giggled, causing Rick to turn and glance at her, and she gave him a thumbs up and stuck her tongue out at the warden.

"That's the statue of Anubis," Evie began. She was obviously the expert of the group. "Its legs go deep underground. According to Bembridge scholars, _that_'s where we'll find a secret compartment and the golden book of Amun-Ra...Ah, Jonathan, you're meant to catch the sun with that," she added to her brother, who was busy cleaning a large, mirror-like object.

Irene raised an eyebrow as she saw Rick approach Evie. "So, uh, what are these old mirrors for?" he asked, gesturing at the one Evie was handling.

"_Ancient _mirrors," she corrected him. "It's an Ancient Egyptian trick...you'll see."

Rick nodded before bringing out a small bag. "It's...for you," he said, sounding rather nervous. At Evie's look, he went on, "Go ahead. It's something I borrowed off our American brethren. I thought you might like it...might need it...for when you're down there. What are you looking at?" he snapped at the warden, who held up his hands innocently.

Irene turned her head so he wouldn't accuse her of eavesdropping. "Oh, we'll be discussing this later, Rick," she muttered, but she couldn't help smiling at the relationship that was blossoming between her brother and Evie.

Rick didn't hear her comment as he grabbed the rope and jumped down.

"Hey, look for bugs!" the warden called down to Rick. "I hate bugs!"

Irene didn't know how someone who hated bugs could live in Egypt. "Try visiting the States sometime," she told the warden as Evie took the rope from Rick and disappeared below.

"There are no bugs there?" the warden demanded.

"You'll see when you get there," Irene said mysteriously as she picked up the rope and followed Evie, _because there's no place that's completely bug-free_, she finished in her head. _  
_

She smiled gratefully at Rick as he caught her waist and helped her down the rest of the way - rope climbing was really not her forte.

"Do you realize that we are standing in a room that no one has entered in over three thousand years?" Evie whispered, as though speaking too loudly would disturb the peace and quite.

"This is incredible!" Irene said, her voice filled with awe as she looked around. "I never would have imagined that I would come to a place like this!"

Evie turned to Irene. "That's why I chose this field of study," she said, her eyes shining with excitement.

"It sure is a lot more interesting than haircutting!" Irene agreed jokingly.

Their conversation was interrupted as Jonathan joined them. "What is that god-awful stench?" he said loudly, just as the warden climbed down the rope after him. "Oh," he said, realizing where the smell was coming from, and chuckled at his bad joke. _Guess I'm not the only one who dislikes the man, _Irene thought.

Evie spotted one of the mirrors she had been referring to and shifted it. "And then there was...light," she announced.

Irene gasped when the room suddenly filled with light.

"Hey," Rick commented, looking around the room now that it was no longer as dark, "that is a neat trick!"

"Oh my god, it's a sah-netjer!" Evie exclaimed as she took in her surroundings.

"What?" Rick asked, sounding as confused as Irene felt.

"It's a preparation room," Evie elaborated, walking about its perimeter in excitement.

Rick, however, still didn't get what she was talking about. "Preparation for what?"

"For entering the afterlife," Evie answered in a creepy voice, causing Rick to grab his handgun from his jacket.

Jonathan leaned over and, using the fire from Rick's already-glowing torch, lit the one he was holding before offering a third torch to Irene. She accepted it eagerly - she certainly didn't mind the bit of extra light to help her see better in such a place. "Mummies, my good son, this is where they made the mummies," he told Rick as they continued deeper into the chamber.

Rick moved carefully in the front, holding his handgun in case they encountered something deadly, and Evie and Irene followed behind him while Jonathan and the warden brought up the rear. A scattering noise suddenly echoed throughout the room, making them stop and whirl around.

"Did you hear that?" Irene gasped, tightening her grip on her torch. She tried to locate the source of the noise, but it was impossible to figure out where it was coming from.

"Yes - what was that?" Jonathan asked.

"Sounds like...bugs," Rick replied, purposefully making his voice eerie.

Irene turned to the warden, and, remembering their previous conversation, couldn't stop herself from taunting him about it. "He said bugs," she said loudly.

"What do you mean, bugs? I hate bugs!" the warden said in response, looking around wildly to make sure that there weren't any bugs following him.

Irene grinned in satisfaction as they continued moving forward.

"The legs of Anubis," Evie told them as they approached the base of the statue. "The secret compartment should be hidden somewhere inside here..."

Before she could inspect it, strange noises echoed around the room. "It doesn't sound like bugs this time," Irene hissed to Rick, who quickly passed his torch to Evie before pulling out a second gun. He pushed Irene behind him and moved closer to where the noise was coming from, before turning the corner to find the Americans with their own guns drawn.

"You scared the bejesus out of us, O'Connell," Henderson exclaimed as he recognized them.

"Likewise," Rick said, pulling his guns back when he saw that they were not in danger.

Irene sighed with relief.

"Hey, that's my tool kit!" the man with glasses - Irene was pretty sure he had introduced himself as Burns after they had first arrived at Hamunaptra - said, noticing the bundle in Evie's arms.

"No, I don't think so," Rick shot back, once again pointing his guns at the Americans while Evie hugged the kit closer.

"O-kay, perhaps I was mistaken," Burns mumbled, and Rick carefully lowered his guns.

Evie exchanged a glance with Irene. "We should probably do something about this," Irene said quietly, gesturing at the tension that was still present between them.

She nodded in agreement and took a step toward them. "Well, have a nice day, gentlemen," Evie said finally, "we have a lot of work to be getting along with."

"Push off," the Egyptologist spat rudely, "This is our dig site!"

"If I recall correctly, it was _us _who won that bet," Irene retorted. Too late, she realized, as the men all pointed their weapons at each other again. _  
_

"This here's _our _statue, friend," Daniels said coldly.

"I don't see your name written on it, _pal_," Rick mocked.

It was Beni who saved Daniels from having to defend himself against Rick's words. "Yes, well, there's only five of you and fifteen of me, your odds are not so great, O'Connell."

Rick didn't seem fazed as he replied calmly, "I've had worse."

"Yeah, me too," Jonathan put in, and Irene rolled her eyes. It was no surprise he would run into trouble, seeing how it was he who had stolen the puzzle box from Rick.

"Look, for goodness sake," Evie interrupted, moving so that she stood before the guns. Irene had to respect her bravery - she didn't think she would be able to stand so close to the men...Unless she was too drunk to care, that is. "Let's be nice, children," Evie continued in a tone that reminded Irene of a mother scolding her child, "If we're going to play together, we must learn to share." Evie began lowering their guns, and firmly placed a hand on Rick's arm. "There are other places to dig," she told him.

Rick shrugged and lowered his gun before gesturing at Evie to take the lead, and she quickly set off to in the direction of the 'other place' she was referring to.

Irene let out the breath she had been holding as they followed Evie into another corridor. "Thank goodness you were there," Irene said to her as they walked. "I probably wouldn't have been able to break them up...and besides, I don't think Rick would have listened to me if _I _told him to stop fighting, but he listened to you."

"Your brother is quite...something," she managed, smiling slightly as she spoke.

"He sure is," Irene agreed. "He may act like an idiot sometimes, but overall he's a good person...Though I may be just a little biased," she added as an afterthought.

Evie fiddled with her tool kit, and, in the torchlight, Irene could see that she was blushing. "Yes, he is..." she trailed off softly.

Irene didn't know whether she was agreeing that Rick was an idiot, or that he was a good person, but she had a feeling it was the latter. Rick really needed to settle down and start a family, and she felt that Evie was the perfect person to 'tame' him and keep an eye on him so he wouldn't get into any more trouble.

Irene, however, was unable to say any more in the matter when the corridor opened up, and Evie grinned triumphantly, indicating that her logic was right.

Rick and Jonathan got to work without delay, striking at the ceiling with their hammers, while Evie began examining the walls. "According to these hieroglyphics, we're underneath the statue. We should come up right between his legs," she instructed.

"When those damn yanks go to sleep," Jonathan started, but hurriedly added "No offense," when he realized that both Rick and Irene were Americans.

"None taken," Rick dismissed, while Irene put in "Don't worry, I don't tend to group myself with the likes of _them_."

"We'll dig our way up and steal that book right out from under them," Jonathan finished, pleased with his idea.

Irene rolled her eyes. "Only you would come up with a brilliant plan like that, Mr. Carnahan."

He chuckled in response. "Whatever works, you know?"

"Are you sure we can find this secret compartment thing?" Rick asked Evie, but not before giving Jonathan a glare as he was reminded of the time when Jonathan had stolen from him.

"Oh, yes, if those beastly Americans haven't beaten us to it," she replied, before adding "No offense" to Rick and Irene.

"None taken," Rick repeated while Irene merely shrugged, knowing that she probably didn't mean it.

"And where'd our smelly little friend go?" Jonathan asked, noticing that the fifth member of their party was missing.

Irene shook her head, unable to answer, but she wasn't exactly worried about the man. "He should be fine," she said to Jonathan. "Unless there are bugs, I suppose."

Jonathan obviously didn't seem to care much, either, for he had started playing golf with his digging tool after he discovered that the rocks scattered on the ground could be used for amusement, while Evie had begun to discuss Egyptian traditions with Rick.

"Care to join me?" Jonathan asked Irene, holding out his 'golf club' to her.

Irene had to admit that she _was _a little bored, and, with a glance at Rick, accepted Jonathan's offer. She attempted to hit the stone, but missed horribly and almost struck Jonathan's arm with her club. "Oh, I am so sorry!" she burst out, letting the club go as she checked to make sure that he wasn't hurt. "That's why my brother fusses over me so much...he sometimes think that I'll just walk right onto a battlefield one day and get myself killed."

It was true - she remembered from a conversation they had had about Rick joining the Legion, in which she had told him not to get on the battlefield because it would be too dangerous. Rick, however, had insisted that "I would be more worried about _you _walking onto a battlefield, Rena. There's a better chance that you'll get killed long before I do." It wasn't exactly reassuring, but Rick's point was that he wouldn't die so easily, and Irene had reluctantly gave in.

"I'm sure battlefields aren't that that bad," Jonathan said, attempting to comfort her. "You didn't hit me, Irene. See? I'm still in one piece."

"That's a relief," Irene said, sighing.

"Oh! And you know how they took out your brains?" Evie asked Rick at that particular moment, her voice raising in excitement. Irene wondered how she could be so passionate about such a topic, and Jonathan appeared to share her thought as he said to his sister, "Evie, I don't think we need to know this! We must keep Irene innocent!" Irene elbowed him sharply.

Evie, however, ignored Jonathan's comment. "They take a sharp, red-hot poker, stick it up your nose, scramble things about a bit, and then rip it all out through your nostrils," she continued, demonstrating the process as she spoke.

"Oh, that's got to hurt," Rick remarked, touching his own nose as though he was imagining it.

"It's called mummification; you'll be dead when they do this," Evie assured him.

"For the record, if I don't make it out of here, don't put me down for mummification," Rick said, and Irene nodded in agreement.

"Likewise," Jonathan assented, and swung his club at another stone. He froze as the roof of the chamber abruptly broke off and collapsed, sending a sarcophagus crashing onto the ground next to them.

Irene squeaked in surprise, and quickly got out of the sarcophagus' way as it fell too close for comfort.

Evie coughed from the dust that had rained down on them. "Oh my god...it's a...it's a sarcophagus. Buried at the base of Anubis," Evie gasped, studying the sarcophagus with awe. "He must have been someone of great importance...or he did something very naughty," she concluded, turning to look at Rick, who raised an eyebrow at her words.

Evie and Rick began clearing the dust off in an attempt to find out more about the sarcophagus. "Well, who is it?" Jonathan asked eagerly.

"He...that shall not be named," Evie translated as she read the hieroglyphics.

Rick blew off the remainder of the dust. "This looks like some sort of lock," he said, indicating the strange indentation located on the sarcophagus' side.

"Well, whoever was in here sure wasn't getting out," Jonathan remarked.

"Then I'm guessing he 'did something very naughty'?" Irene asked, air-quoting Evie's earlier statement.

Rick frowned thoughtfully. "It'll take a month to crack this thing without a key."

"A key!" Evie said, her eyes opening wide as realization dawned upon her. "A key, a key! Now _that_'s what he was talking about!" she began rummaging through their bag while Rick looked even more confused.

"Who-who was talking about what?" Rick asked Jonathan and Irene, but they booth shook their heads.

"T-The man-the man on the barge, the hook - he was looking for a key," Evie said, stumbling over her words as she fumbled with the puzzle box, opening it to reveal a similar shape to the one etched onto the sarcophagus.

Jonathan, on the other hand, seemed to care more about the box itself than anything else. "Hey, that's mine!" he argued, pointing at the box.

Evie chose not to pay attention to him while Irene shot him a look filled with annoyance. "It belonged to Rick first," she pointed out, just as Evie set the key onto the lock.

It fit perfectly.

Just as Evie smiled triumphantly at Rick, a pained scream interrupted them as the warden came scrambling down the hall. He pushed pass the group, not even realizing that they were there, and didn't stop until he ran right into the wall.

"I-Is he...is he..." Irene began, but couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence.

No matter how much she hated him, nobody deserved to die in such a fashion, with nothing but horror in the last moments of their life.

* * *

"What do you suppose killed him?" Evie asked that night as they settled down around the fire.

"Did you ever see him eat?" Jonathan pointed out.

Irene huddled next to the fire, the events from earlier still haunting her mind, and she was more than happy to see her brother as he rejoined them. "It seems our American friends had a little misfortune of their own today," he told them as he sat down between Evie and Irene. "Three of their diggers were...uh, melted."

"What?" Evie asked.

"That's terrible!" Irene whispered, shuddering.

"How?" Jonathan added, asking the question that Irene hadn't dared to ask.

Rick put a hand on Irene's shoulder, reassuring her wordlessly that they would be fine. "Salt acid," he said in response to Jonathan's question. "Pressurized salt acid, some kind of...ancient booby trap."

"Maybe this place really is cursed," Jonathan suggested, throwing a bit of sand into the fire and causing the wind to blow eerily around them.

Irene shivered and shifted closer to Rick.

"Oh, for goodness sake, you three!" Evie snapped, glaring at each of them in turn.

"You don't believe in curses, huh?" Rick asked her.

"No, I don't! I believe if I can see it, if I can touch it, then it's real. That's what I believe," Evie said firmly.

Rick picked up his rifle. "I believe in being prepared," he said, readying the gun in case something would happen at that very moment.

Jonathan picked up the warden's bag and, in an attempt to lighten up the atmosphere, said, "Let's see what our friend the warden believed in." He took his time as he put a hand into the bag and began rummaging through it. He yelled very abruptly, causing Evie and Irene to scream in panic.

"Oh my god, what is it?" Evie demanded.

"Broken bottle," Jonathan announced as he pulled the alcohol out. Evie sighed in relief as he continued, "Glenlivet, twelve years old! Well, he may have been a stinky fellow, but he had good taste."

"Let me see that," Irene said, reaching across Rick and Evie. Jonathan stared at her as she took the bottle from him and gulped down a few mouthfuls of the alcohol. She wiped her mouth, suddenly realizing that the others were all looking at her. "What? I really needed a drink," she defended hastily, passing the bottle back to Jonathan. _Especially with all those awful things that have happened around here lately, _she finished in her head.

The problem Irene had with alcohol was that while she loved the drink, her tolerance wasn't exactly very high, and it didn't take much for her to get drunk. "Uh...am I imagining things, or do I hear horses?" she asked, hoping that what she was now hearing was only a side affect of her...drunkenness.

"It's not your imagination," Rick answered, turning in the direction of the horses' neighing. "Take this," he instructed, giving his rifle to Evie. "Stay here. You too, Rena!" He hurried off toward the source of the noise.

"Guess I'm not drunk yet," Irene said cheerfully, taking the bottle and sipping another mouthful.

"No, wait, wait, wait for me, wait!" Evie called to Rick, and when she saw that he wasn't coming back, she ran after him.

"Evie! Excuse me, but didn't the man just say 'stay here'? Evie!" Jonathan asked her, taking the bottle back before he followed his sister.

_This is just great_, Irene thought, standing up now that the other two had left her behind. _What am I supposed to do without any means of protecting myself? _"Rick, where are you?" she yelled, shrieking as bullets began firing off around her.

The camp was a mess, and she had no idea where her brother ran off to as the Americans took aim at their attackers - she realized they were similar to the men from the boat, and she admitted grudgingly that Rick was right about the fact that they weren't the type to discuss things over coffee.

She stumbled around blindly, hoping with all her heart that the men wouldn't accidentally shoot her in the process. "Watch it!" she yelped as a bullet flew too close for her liking. _This probably wasn't the best time to get drunk_, she thought grumpily, but brightened considerably when she noticed that Jonathan was running toward her with a man dressed in black chasing after him on horseback.

"O'Connell!" Jonathan cried, but Irene saw that he wasn't talking to her. It most likely meant that Rick was near - and that was a very good thing.

She saw in the distance that Rick had knocked the man off his horse and was threatening him with a stick of dynamite.

"Rick!" she exclaimed, relieved that he was so close. "There you are! I've been looking all over for you!" she tried to get to him, but in her haste, she tripped over a particularly large rock - this _really _wasn't a good time to drink, she groaned inwardly - and tumbled toward the ground.

She had definitely misjudged her distance, she thought, but the man Rick had been fighting unexpectedly caught her shoulder with his spare hand before she could make even more of a fool of herself in front of them.

"Rena, what the hell are you doing?" Rick yelled at her furiously, "You just practically volunteered yourself as their hostage!"

The truth was, she had completely forgotten that she was in the middle of a battlefield. Part of it was because she was drunk, but the other part was because she had just been so glad to see Rick again and didn't have time to think about anything else. "Don't blame me, blame the rock that was going to kill me!" she retorted, feeling her cheeks slowly heat up as she turned her head and got a good look at her 'savior' for the first time.

To say that he was handsome was an understatement, Irene mused, as she found herself staring at his face and the tattoos that adorned his forehead. _Or maybe I really am drunk_, she thought, beginning to panic now that she realized Rick was right about her becoming their hostage. "Please don't kill me," she said in a small voice.

Was he smiling? He probably was laughing at her idiocy. But when he spoke, his words actually surprised her - and not just because his accent was...nice.

"Enough!" he commanded his men. "Yallah! We will shed no more blood, but leave. Leave this place or die! You have one day!" he warned, before pushing Irene at Rick and turning back to his men. He expertly slipped onto a horse and called out to his men once more, and then they left, as mysteriously as they had come.

"What were you thinking?" Rick growled at Irene.

"He didn't kill me," Irene reminded her brother as she lifted a hand to her shoulder, recalling the feeling of his touch. It had been warm and steady, which meant that he hadn't really planned on hurting her. "They can't all be that bad, can they?"

Rick shot her a look. "What did I say about you going onto battlefields?" he asked exasperatedly. "How much did you drink?"

"Well, it was Evie who ran after you first!" she protested.

"Evelyn!" Rick said, and, forgetting that he was supposed to be mad at Irene, ran toward where she was lying on the ground. "Are you alright?" he asked, carefully helping her up.

Irene snorted. "Yeah, she's _not _fine because she just ran right into the middle of a battle and made a fool of herself in front of their leader. Thanks for asking!"

Rick glared at her, clearly annoyed that she had ruined the moment.

"What? I'm drunk," Irene said, batting her eyelashes at him innocently.

"See, that proves it! Old Seti's fortune's gotta be under this sand," Daniels said to them.

"For them to protect it like this you just know there's treasure down there," Henderson agreed.

"No," Rick said, with a glance at Irene. "These men are desert people. They value water, not gold."

Burns moved slightly closer to Rick as he suggested, "You know, uh, maybe just at night, we could...uh, combine forces. Hmm?" but Irene couldn't tell whether he was joking or being serious with shaving cream still plastered on his face.

What she did know, though, was that Rick had definitely been serious when he had said there was some kind of evil underneath the sand, and the strange men that had attacked them clearly knew something they didn't.

_Just who are those men...?_

* * *

A/n: I will be out of town next week, and I probably won't have as much time to update. So here is a longer chapter - and Ardeth makes his first appearance! 8D hopefully their first meeting was believable.. /hides/

Leave a review and let me know what you think?

Special thanks to The Queen of Water, Brunette, Mikado X Goddess, Natsuko26, belladu57, and Guest for reviewing!


	6. No Harm Ever Came From Reading a Book

Disclaimer: There's a reason why this is on a _fanfiction _site...

* * *

Irene huddled by the fire, hugging the blanket to her while her brother decided to give Evie a self-defense lesson. She was definitely not in the best of moods - getting drunk did that to her - and she hadn't forgotten the events of the battle and how she had acted like an idiot in front of the strange warriors' leader. _I'm going to be their joke of the century_, she thought indignantly, and let out a huff of annoyance.

How could she have been so stupid as to wandering right onto the battlefield and practically becoming their hostage? It's a wonder he _didn't _take her hostage, and this fact was confusing her more and more. Why would their leader ignore such a good chance, and instead simply leave them be with a warning? Was he trying to tell them that he and his men weren't as evil and bloodthirsty as they thought?

Shaking her head, she leaned over the sleeping Jonathan and opted for another drink, but before her hand could touch the bottle, it was snatched right out of her grasp. "No more drinks for you," Rick said, dangling the bottle out of her reach.

"Oh? So you've stopped flirting with Evie and decided to come annoy me?" she asked.

"I wasn't _flirting_," Rick protested, and Irene saw that there was a red tinge on his cheeks. "I was giving her training! And she decided to black out on me, which is why I'm talking to you."

She snorted in a very unladylike fashion. "Yeah, sure, if you say so."

Rick sighed. "So you're still thinking about that, huh?"

"Depends on what you mean by '_that_'," Irene returned, just as Rick enveloped her in a comforting hug. She hadn't been hugged like this in a long time - not since the day she had bid farewell to him before he joined the Legion. The touching gesture almost brought tears to her eyes, and she hugged him back tightly. She couldn't be more grateful that he was with her.

"I may have been a little harsh," Rick admitted guiltily, "but you must know how scared I was when you stumbled so close to the enemy. I expected that guy to kill you right then!"

Irene felt him shudder, and she rubbed his back soothingly. "But I'm fine, aren't I? He didn't kill me, Rick! He may have been cold, but he must have had a heart to have let me go without a struggle."

"I see you have been giving our desert friend a lot of thinking," Rick commented.

"Yeah, well, he's very interesting," Irene mumbled, fumbling with a strand of her hair. _And fairly good-looking_, she added silently, but apparently it wasn't as silent as she had hoped when Rick asked "What was that?" sharply.

Irene's cheeks burned. "Nothing," she said quickly, knowing that Rick would jump at the chance to kill the man if he learned that she was interested in him...not just in the way one would find a mystery novel interesting. But the mysterious man's actions that night made Irene want to learn more about him and get to know him, though she didn't think her brother would fancy letting her spend even an hour alone with him.

She turned to Rick, expecting him to continue pestering her, but she was rather surprised to find that he had fallen asleep next to Evie. _He did have a long night_, she thought, smiling lovingly at him before she settled down next to him.

"Good night, brother," she said softly, and closed her eyes and let sleep take over.

* * *

The following morning, Evie was all to happy to return to the work they had done the previous day.

"Oh, I've dreamt about this since I was a little girl," Evie told them excitedly as Rick and Jonathan lifted the sarcophagus into a standing position.

Rick stared at her as though she had just sprouted two heads. "You dream about dead guys?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Evie, however, chose to ignore his question and instead began studying the sarcophagus eagerly. "Look, the sacred spells have been chiseled off," she noted, gesturing to the front of the lid, "This man must have been condemned not only in this life, but the next."

"How great," Rick said sarcastically.

"Yes, I'm all cheers," Jonathan put in, beginning to unlock the sarcophagus with his key.

"I wonder what he did to deserve such treatment?" Irene asked curiously, peering over Rick's shoulder to get a better look now that the dust and dirt had been cleared off.

Rick patted her on the back with his free hand. "Maybe he stumbled onto the battlefield and got into trouble?" he teased.

"It wasn't like I did it on purpose," she pointed out.

"Let's see who's inside, shall we?" Jonathan asked cheerfully, preventing them from arguing further as Irene's attention was brought back to their current situation. She had to admit that, despite not being particularly fond of the dead, she was rather curious as to who was inside.

Rick and Jonathan didn't hesitate before they pulled the lid off, and Evie let out a shriek as the mummy was exposed. "God, I _hate _it when these things do that," Evie complained, recomposing herself quickly once she saw that there was no potential danger.

Irene made a face. "I can see why," she agreed, cautiously taking a step back.

"Is he supposed to look like that?" Rick asked, frowning at the mummy.

"No, I've never seen a mummy look like this before," Evie told him, "He's still...he's still..." she trailed off, unable to find the perfect word to describe the condition the mummy was in.

"Juicy," Rick and Jonathan supplied together, causing Irene to roll her eyes. Only those two would come up with a description like that.

Evie nodded, still rather shocked by the mummy's bizarre appearance. "Yes. H-He must be more than three thousand years old, and...and, well, it looks as if he's still...decomposing."

Irene inched back as she tried to keep her distance - she preferred living, breathing humans to mummies any day, and if an expert like Evie had never come across a mummy like this one before, then there was good reason to be careful - but accidentally knocked into the sarcophagus lid in the process. Rick's head turned to the source of the sound, and his eyes widened as he spotted the marks. "Hey, look at that," he said, waving a hand at the inside of the lid. "What do you make of this?"

They gathered around to get a closer look, and Evie bent down and traced the scratches with her own hand. "My god, these marks are made from...fingernails. This man was buried alive," she realized, turning to look back at the mummy.

"That must have been awful," Irene murmured, following Evie's gaze. "Nobody deserves a fate like that."

Rick squeezed her reassuringly as Evie bent to study the markings again. "And he left a message. 'Death...is only the beginning'," she translated, running a finger along the words that had been carved in.

Irene didn't even want to think about how much pain he must have been in as he was buried.

* * *

Later that night, they once again sat around the fire. Irene leaned against Rick, grateful for his warmth and comfort, but unfortunately, they were interrupted by Henderson, who waved the canopy jar in his hand at them as he walked by. "Say O'Connell! What do you think these babies will fetch back home?" he asked smugly.

Burns joined Henderson in teasing them. "We heard you boys found yourselves a nice, gooey mummy," he added. "Well, congratulations!"

"You know, if you dry that fellow out, you might be able to sell him for firewood," Daniels joked.

"Well, how would you like it if you were sold for firewood after you had just been buried alive?" Irene snapped, feeling her temper rise at their teasing. She was really getting annoyed with their cocky behavior, and she hated the fact that they were _Americans_.

"Whoa, fiery, are we?" Henderson asked, smirking at her.

Irene opened her mouth, but she was spared from having to find a comeback as Evie hurried toward them, holding something in her hand. Irene was beginning to like her more and more. "Look what I found!" she called, holding out her hand to show them its contents.

Rick turned to Beni, who was sitting next to him. "You're in her seat," he said rather rudely, but Irene certainly didn't mind her brother's poor treatment of the Americans and their companions. "Now!" Rick ordered, after Beni merely chuckled and refused to budge. The man quickly got up and made to sit on Irene's other side, but Rick pulled an arm around Irene and drew her closer to him. "Don't you dare," he threatened, and with a yelp Beni edged closer to the other Americans.

"Scarab skeletons," Evie began as she took over Beni's spot. "Flesh-eaters. I found them inside our friend's coffin. They can stay alive for years, feeding on the flesh of a corpse," she went on, while Rick and Jonathan both picked out a scarab to study it. "Unfortunately for our friend, he was still alive when they started eating him."

"So somebody threw these in with our guy, and then they slowly ate him alive?" Rick confirmed, and Irene shuddered at the thought. Even the Americans had stopped smiling and gapped at Evie.

"_Very _slowly," Evie answered mysteriously.

"Well, he certainly wasn't a popular fellow when they planted him, was he?" Jonathan remarked.

"Probably got a little too frisky with the pharaoh's daughter," Rick suggested half-jokingly, but he grew serious again as he added, "I wouldn't mind throwing those into your graves if you even _think_ about touching my sister." He gestured at the Americans across from him, and they laughed nervously, trying to figure out whether his words were serious or not.

Irene certainly didn't mind the warning. She didn't exactly like their American companions, and would gladly get as far away from them as possible. "You got that right," she agreed, giving Henderson a meaningful look. She grinned at Rick when he backed away slightly.

Evie, however, hadn't finished with her explanation. "Well, according to my readings, our friend suffered the Hom-Dai - the worst of all ancient Egyptian curses...one reserved only for the most evil of blasphemers. But in all of my research, I've never heard of this curse having actually been performed."

"That bad, huh?" Rick asked.

"Yes. Well, they never used it because they feared it so," Evie answered. "It's written that...if the victim of the Hom-Dai should ever arise, he would bring with him the ten plagues of Egypt."

"You were right, Rick," Irene whispered, afraid that she would disturb whatever was underneath the sands if she spoke too loudly. "This place really must be evil..."

* * *

Irene couldn't sleep that night. She turned this way and that, but she just couldn't get the thoughts of the curse out of her mind, and she had a small feeling that perhaps their desert friends knew something about it.

"Rick?" she asked, hoping that he was still awake.

His reply told her that he was. "What is it, Rena?"

"Well...I've been thinking, and I, well, it's pretty obvious that those desert men know something about the curse," she began hesitantly, knowing that he was probably annoyed that she would spend so much time thinking about _them_. But she really couldn't help it - she was curious.

She heard Rick shift slightly beside her. "Our one day is up, isn't it?" Rick asked. "Why don't you try asking them the next time they show up?"

Irene picked up a small rock and threw it into the fire in frustration. "They probably won't spill their secrets over a cup of coffee," she said glumly, sitting up so she could look at Rick. "Hey, where did Evie go?" she asked, noticing that her spot was strangely empty.

"There's your answer," Rick replied, waving a hand to where she was heading towards them with a thick book in her arms and a triumphant grin spread across her face. "That's called 'stealing', you know," he said to her, correctly guessing what she had done as she set the heavy book down on the table.

"According to you and my brother, it's called 'borrowing'," she returned smartly as she picked out the key from Jonathan's pocket.

Irene exchanged a glance with Rick. "I see you have learned my brother's ways," Irene teased.

"Indeed I have," Evie said, still smiling broadly as she fumbled with the key.

Rick, who was now wide awake, leaned closer to her to see what she had 'borrowed'. "I thought the Book of Amun-Ra was made out of gold," he said, once he saw that the book did not even have a speck of gold on it.

"It is made out of gold," Evie replied, "This isn't the Book of Amun-Ra. This is something else. I think this may be the Book of the Dead," she told them as the key clicked open, and she proceeded to place the key on the lock.

"The Book of the Dead?" Rick echoed, tightening his grip on his rifle.

"There's more than one?" Irene asked, leaning over Rick so she could get a better look. _It definitely isn't made out of gold_, she thought, slightly disappointed.

"Are you sure you want to be playing around with this thing?" Rick pointed out.

She didn't seem worried as she set the key into the lock and flipped the book open. "It's just a book...No harm ever came from reading a book," she responded, just as a particularly eery wind blew over their camp. Irene pulled her blanket tighter to her and shivered.

"That happens a lot around here," Rick commented as he looked around, trying to figure out where the wind was coming from. He eventually gave up and turned his attention back to Evie, who was studying the words written in the book. "So what does it say?" he asked.

Evie ran her fingers along the words. "Amun-Ra, Amun-Dei...It speaks of the night and the day," she told them, and continued reading the words aloud.

She was abruptly interrupted by the Egyptologist. "NO! You must not read from the book!" He screamed at them, but it was already too late as a loud roaring noise came right toward them, waking up the other members of the camp.

"What is that?" Irene shrieked as the flying insects approached the group in large numbers.

"Run!" Rick yelled, and Irene didn't need to be told twice as she raced after Rick and the others toward the underground passageways.

But unfortunately for them, the danger hadn't passed. A fountain of scarabs burst out of the ground as they turned the corner, and scurried right toward them. "Scarabs!" Evie exclaimed, and without stopping they ran as fast they could, trying to get out of the scarabs' way.

As the underground passage opened up, Evie and Irene managed to stumble to one side while Rick and Jonathan leaped to the other. "That was close," Irene breathed in relief, but she yelped with surprise when Evie edged too close to the other side and they both tumbled down into the darkness.

"Where...are we?" Irene asked uncertainly, gasping for breath after their unexpected fall.

Evie shook her head, unable to answer, but before she could speak, they heard a painful moan not far from where they were. "It's Burns," Irene realized, feeling a little better once she saw that there was someone they knew. For once, she was glad to see one of the Americans, and that was certainly saying something.

"Oh, oh, Mr. Burns," Evie said, relaxing as well. "Thank goodness. I was just starting to get scared. We lost everyone - " she started, but broke of and screamed when he turned toward their voice.

Irene gasped in terror as she saw the state he was in. His eyes were missing, and from the way he spoke, she deduced that whatever had happened, he didn't lose just his eyes. "My eyes," he groaned, his voice filled with pain.

"What happened to you?" Irene cried, just as she heard Evie shriek in fear. She followed Evie's gaze and screamed at the sight of the mummy. He was no longer just a mummy - he was walking.

And he had _eyes_.

Irene had an awful feeling that those eyes once belonged to Burns. "How could he do such a thing?" she asked, bending down in an attempt to sooth Burns. The mummy had his full attention on Evie, so he hadn't noticed her yet. _That's good_, she thought. She might still be able to save Burns, especially after they had already lost the warden and there wasn't anything she could have done about it...

"My tongue," Burns went on, still in the pained voice that made Irene wince.

She couldn't just leave him here, not after what had happened to him. No matter how much she may dislike the Americans, he was still in trouble, and if there was anything she could do to help, she was definitely going to do it. She wasn't going to leave him like this, suffering in pain. She hadn't forgotten the warden's horrid death.

"There you are!" Rick's voice suddenly called out, and he ran toward where Evie was backed against the wall. "Quit playing hide-and-seek and let's get out of here!" He stopped short when he saw what she was staring at. "Whoa!" he exclaimed.

Jonathan and the other Americans, who had ran in after Rick, froze as the mummy roared at them.

Rick roared back at him and fired his gun, sending the mummy rolling onto the ground. "Move!" he yelled at them, and noticing that Irene was still beside Burns, ran to her side. "Come on, Rena!"

"What about Burns?" she protested, yanking her arm back as he tried to pull her away from him. "We can't just leave him!"

"We have to get out of here!" Rick argued, but Irene shook her head. He growled in frustration. "Fine! You help him, then!" he snapped, and without waiting for her reply, he and the Americans continued on, leaving her with Burns and the defeated mummy.

Irene, expecting that the danger had passed, managed to help Burns get back into a standing position. "Let's go, Mr. Burns," she said, but as she turned her head, she screamed in horror when she realized that the mummy had gotten back onto its feet and was walking right toward them.

Without thinking, Irene spread her arms wide and stepped in front of Burns, shielding him from the mummy. "Don't come any closer!" she squeaked, her voice rising in pitch as he continued toward them. Irene could feel her heart thudding as he approached, in the way a wild animal would approach his prey.

_Isn't this ironic_? she groaned inwardly. _Here I am, trying to help one of the Americans I dislike. I can't even hate the warden anymore after what had happened to him..._

The mummy opened his mouth and spoke. But she couldn't understand his words, not even one of them, and this uncertainty was scaring her even more. He reached a hand toward her, and, fearing for the worst, Irene squeezed her eyes shut. _I can't believe _this _is how I'm going to die. I didn't even get to say goodbye to Rick...Oh, why couldn't I have just gone with him_? she cried silently, feeling cold sweat drip down her cheeks. _  
_

_This must be it..._she thought.

But the worst never came. It was then Irene heard the hiss of a cat come from somewhere next to her, and the mummy let out a cry of fear before he burst into sand and vanished in a whirlwind.

Now that the danger had gone, Irene's knees shook and she sank onto the ground, and she turned to see that the desert men had surrounded them. But, unlike her earlier ordeal with the mummy, she wasn't scared now. Not at all. She would never have thought that she would feel safe around these men.

Their leader walked toward her and knelt down, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "Your actions are admirable but foolish. Nothing can stop me," he said. At her puzzled look, he nodded to where the mummy had been just a few minutes ago. "That was what the creature said to you."

"I - oh!" Irene wailed, and not really caring that he was a stranger, she burst into tears and flung herself at him. "I-I thought I was going to die," she sobbed, burying her face into his chest. She was probably embarrassing herself, but at that point, she was just relieved that she was still alive and he was there to protect her. "Y-You saved me," she whispered, feeling slightly better now that she had relaxed.

"If you do not mind me saying this, you are a strange woman. Not many would stand up to the creature in the way you did," he told her.

"Yes, well, you're very strange yourself. Not many would give up a perfectly good hostage," Irene pointed out, smiling through her tears. He stood up and offered her his hand. Irene took it gratefully. "I'm Irene, by the way," she added, suddenly feeling her cheeks flush now that she was no longer hysterical. "Irene O'Connell."

He nodded. "Ardeth Bay," he introduced, indicating himself with one hand.

"I...I owe you one, huh?" Irene said. "I don't think I can ever pay you back for what you did, but, uh, once this is all over - " she didn't dare say _if _" - would you mind, um, maybe...having a cup of coffee with me? It's a drink that's popular in America...yeah..."

_What are you doing, Irene_? she scolded herself, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. _There's no way he would be interested in something like coffee! Oh, he's definitely laughing at me now! _

To her surprise, he _wasn't _laughing. "Perhaps," he said, neither confirming nor denying her offer. _Well, it's better than declining it, _Irene thought, mentally slapping herself. "Come, we must find your companions," he added, sparing her from any more embarrassing acts.

He spoke to his men with his voice filled with authority, and they set off down the passageway in the direction Rick and the others had gone.

Irene gladly followed him while his men dealt with Burns, leading him along with them. "Why _did _he run away?" she asked quietly.

Waving a hand at the dark-colored cat seated inside a cage, he explained, "Cats are the guardians of the Underworld, which is why he fears them. For now."

"Is that so? I'll have to keep a cat around," Irene said lightly, just as they rounded the corner to see Rick and the others run right at them. His followers instantly pointed their guns at Rick.

Ardeth stepped toward Rick. "I told you to leave or die," he reminded them curtly. "You refused. Now you may have killed us all, for you may have unleashed the creature we have feared for more than three thousand years."

_So they do know something about him_, Irene realized.

"Relax, I got him," Rick said, glowering at Irene as he spoke. She flinched, knowing that he was going to have a few words with her later.

"No mortal weapon can kill this creature," Ardeth told him, "He's not of this world."

"And I had first-hand experience with that," Irene muttered, earning another look from her brother.

Ardeth moved to the side so his men could bring Burns forward. "You bastards," Daniels growled as he and Henderson caught Burns between them.

"What did you do to him?" Henderson accused.

"They didn't do anything!" Irene protested, just as Ardeth gestured to her. "She saved him. Saved him before the creature could finish his work. We'll leave all of you quickly before he finishes you all," he finished.

_Why did he say _I _saved him_? Irene couldn't help thinking as she stared at him. _They deserve the credit! _

Ardeth called to his men to lower their guns, before stopping next to Rick. "We must now go on the hunt, and try to find a way to kill him."

"I already told you, I got him," Rick insisted, but blinked uncertainly when Irene shook her head at him.

"Know this," Ardeth went on seriously. "This creature is the bringer of death. He will never eat, he will never sleep, and he will never stop."

* * *

A/n: I'm back! With another chapter! Hopefully it turned out alright - I've had this chapter planned for a long time, so I'm glad that I was finally able to write it out! 8D

Leave a review and let me know what you think?

Special thanks to The Queen of Water, musicluver246, Brunette, Guest, Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967, thakidisbac, and Lady Minuialwen for reviewing!


	7. To Stay or Not To Stay

Disclaimer: There's a reason why this is on a _fanfiction _site...

* * *

The first thing Irene noticed was that she had absolutely no idea where she was. Usually it would worry her, but, for some reason, she wasn't worried about her situation at all. It might have something to do with the fact that the mysterious desert men's leader - Ardeth, she remembered his name was - was with her.

The other thing she noticed was that they were alone, which meant that it was the perfect time for a private conversation. So Irene blurted out the first thought on her mind. "Do you...have any hobbies?"

"Perhaps," was all he said.

She shifted her feet, waiting for him to elaborate, but he didn't. "Oh, well...that's nice. Uh...Would you ever go someplace else? Not in the desert, I mean."

"Perhaps," he said again.

_What else am I supposed to say?! How am I supposed to carry out a conversation if all he says is 'Perhaps'?_ Irene thought indignantly. _Well_,_ this is probably the only chance I'll ever get. I should tell him how I feel_, she decided finally, as he continued to stare at her silently. "I...I think I like you. D-Do you like me?"

Ardeth didn't even seem fazed by her confession. He merely blinked at her and said, very calmly, "Perhaps."

"AHHH!" Irene shrieked, flinging her eyes open to find that she had abruptly sat up in bed in her hotel room. _Thank the heavens. It was only a dream_, she realized when she recognized her surroundings, and let out a sigh of relief as she swung her feet over the side of the bed in order to sit in a more comfortable position. And she was very glad that it was a dream. _Who would confess like that in real life? 'Do you like me?' Irene, even though you were dreaming, you were still an idiot! __  
_

_Besides, why am I even thinking about his answer in the first place? We have more serious matters to be worried about now! You have no time for silly crushes, Irene! _

She slapped her cheeks in an attempt to wake herself up, but she couldn't forget her humiliating performance the previous night. She could almost imagine Ardeth's men laughing at her in their camp: "_Hey, have you heard? Those treasure hunters brought this girl along, and she literally threw herself into the midst of battle. But Boss wouldn't let us take her hostage, and next thing you know, she threw herself at our enemy, the one we've been afraid of for thousands of years? Yeah, that creature. And then she threw herself at Boss. She must be trying to get herself killed! Ha ha!" _

Wait, would they refer to Ardeth as Boss? "Argh, Irene, that's not the point!" she snapped out loud, tugging on a particularly stubborn knot in her hair with her brush.

_I barely know the guy! Besides, he probably hates me for for crying in front of him like that! _she thought, and shook her head furiously in an attempt to get rid of the blush that was creeping onto her cheeks.

"Rena?" Rick called from outside of her room. Before she could respond, the door burst open and the man himself skidded to a halt in front of her bed. "Are you alright? I heard you scream!"

"I-I'm alright. I may have had a nightmare, is all." Irene said quickly, but her voice turned out more high-pitched than she had hoped.

To her surprise, Rick sat down next to her and rested a hand on the top of her head. "I'm sorry I brought you into this," he said.

"What are you talking about? I brought myself into this," Irene pointed out, wondering what on earth he was talking about. "I mean, if I hadn't chosen to stay with Burns, the creature would never have attacked me and Ardeth would never have had to save me, and I wouldn't have asked to have coffee with him - "

Rick's head whipped around and he stared at her, confusion evident in his eyes. Irene concluded that whatever he was sorry about wasn't what she thought he was sorry about. "Wait, what are _you _talking about? He attacked you? Who's Ardeth? And what's this about coffee?"

So he was being the overprotective brother again, Irene groaned inwardly. "Rick, I'm not a child anymore," she began firmly, knowing that she'll have to have this conversation with him sooner or later. "You can't decide what I can and cannot do with my life."

He clearly didn't seem to be happy. "But if you had listened to me, Irene, you wouldn't have ended up with _them_," he spat, clenching his hand into a fist. "I wish I never left you with Burns, you know. You don't know how worried I was when I saw that you had ended up with those men!"

"And you don't know how worried _I _was when you decided to join the Legion and left me all by myself, not even sending me a single letter!" Irene retorted, rising her voice as her earlier embarrassment vaporized and was replaced with anger. "As you said yourself, Rick, the past is the past, and I'm alive and well now, thanks to Ardeth. So why don't we just accept this and move on? I'll like any man I want to. You don't see me stopping you from liking Evie, do you?"

"Who said anything about me liking Evelyn?" Rick protested. "What I'd like to know is - who's Ardeth?"

Uh-oh. Irene shifted nervously, the fire she had earlier disappearing as he asked _the_ question. "Let me just say that I have no problem with you threatening the Americans to stay away from me, because, frankly, I don't like them either. But when I do find someone I like, I'd prefer it if you'd not scare them away...not that you'd scare Ardeth easily."

Rick raised his eyebrows. "Yet again, who exactly _is _this Ardeth person?"

"Oh, just the man who's at your skill-level, and whom you wouldn't have defeated until you threatened him with a stick of dynamite," Irene answered, waving a hand dismissively.

Rick blinked once. And then twice. His eyes widened as the memory dawned upon him. "_WHAT_?!"

* * *

"And there you have it," Irene finished, letting out a sigh as she sat on Evie's bed. "My brother found out that I had asked his archenemy to a cup of coffee, so he stormed out of the room and I came to find you."

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Evie exclaimed, sitting down next to Irene as she concluded her story.

Irene nodded in agreement. "I don't think he took it so well, always being so protective when it comes to me. Doesn't the guy ever get tired of fussing over me all the time? You know, if we combined Rick and Jonathan's personalities, we'll both be a lot happier," she joked, feeling a lot better now that she had told someone about her problems.

Not that they were very big problems, considering how Evie was still a little on edge, as she was responsible for waking the creature. "Yes, we would," she said, absently stroking Cleo the cat, who had joined the two on the bed.

Irene had never been so happy to see a cat in her life, especially after the events from last night. "Good kitty," she cooed, rubbing the snow-white cat's head. "You'll keep us safe from the creature, right? He won't come here with you around!"

"Yes, we must make sure he won't come here at all," Evie mumbled to herself. "I have to defeat him, because I read the book and woke him up."

"Well, if you're staying, then I'll stay with you!" Irene announced. "The last thing I want is to stay with that idiot of a brother, especially with the way he's treated me in the past few days. I'm not a child! Though...I think he might just be angry with himself for not being able to save me from the creature, and now he'll have to owe his enemy for the rest of his life because Ardeth rescued me and he didn't."

"When did you become such an expert on me?"

Irene, busy playing with Evie's cat, didn't pay attention to the voice until she looked up and her mouth dropped open. "Oh, since - wait, _Rick_?" she yelped in surprise. "W-What are you doing here?"

He gave her a very annoyed look. "Looking for Evelyn, actually. Why else would I come to her room?"

"Oh," Irene mumbled, realizing how stupid her question must have been.

"But since you're here too, we might as well just leave," he continued.

"I am not going anywhere with you," Irene said hotly, just as Evie shook her head and put in, "I am not leaving until we put an end to this curse!"

Rick was clearly not happy with their response. "I thought you didn't believe in all that fairy tales and hokum stuff?" he said to Evie angrily, and Irene groaned as she realized that he was already in a bad mood due to his earlier argument with her. He snatched Evie's belongings and began throwing them into her bags. He shooed Cleo off, but Evie quickly rescued him.

"Well, h-having an encounter with a three-thousand-year-old walking, talking, corpse, that tends to convert one," Evie defended herself.

"Forget it! We're out the door, we're down the hall, we are gone!" Rick snapped, continuing stuffing Evie's bags much to her chagrin.

"Oh no, we are not!" Evie insisted, and quickly took her sheets out in an attempt to stop him.

Rick glared at her. "Oh yes, we are!"

"Oh no, we are not. We woke him up and we are going to stop him," she argued, and Irene nodded in agreement.

"'We'? What 'we'?" Rick growled, dropping a stack of books into Evie's bag.

"'We' would include you, me, Evelyn, and Jonathan," Irene reminded him in a falsely sweet voice - she hadn't forgotten their earlier argument, and she was waiting for the most opportune time to get back at him.

"_We _didn't read that book! I told you not to play around with that thing! Didn't I tell her not to play around with that thing?" Rick turned to Irene, asking her to confirm what had happened.

As much as Irene wanted to say otherwise, she could blatantly remember him asking Evie if she thought it was a good idea to play around with the Book of the Dead. She nodded, albeit very reluctantly. "I'm sorry," she mouthed to Evie, hoping that she would forgive her for taking her brother's side no matter how much she disliked the idea.

"Yes, alright then. Me, me, me, me, I, I. I woke him up and I intend to stop him!" Evie declared, giving up once she saw that Rick had successfully gotten Irene to support his point.

Rick paused. "Oh yeah? How? You heard the man; no mortal weapons can kill this guy!"

"So _now _you're finally acknowledging Ardeth's helpfulness?" Irene put in, earning herself an annoyed glare from Rick.

"Oh, well, we'll just have to find some _im_mortal ones!" Evie added matter-of-factly.

Rick was definitely not happy now, especially with both of them against him. "There goes that _we _again," he noted irritably, resting his hands on Evie's luggage as he finally stopped pacing the room.

"Listen to me, we _have _to do something - " Evie began, but she was cut off when Rick screeched in pain, making Irene _almost _feel sorry for him when she saw what had caused his newfound misery - Evie had slammed the lid down on his hands. "Once this creature has been reborn, his curse is going to spread until of the Earth is destroyed!" she continued, attempting to talk some sense into Rick.

Her efforts, unfortunately, were futile. "Oh yeah? And is that my problem?" Rick snorted.

"Well, it is everybody's problem!" Evie pointed out, and with a glance at Irene, she added, "And it would definitely be your problem if Irene gets hurt because of it!"

This, however, turned out to be the wrong thing to say. Irene knew that Rick was extremely protective of her, and as soon as someone tried to use her to persuade him to do something, he would lose his temper and snap at them. And he did just that. "Keep Irene out of this! Evelyn, I appreciate you saving my life and all, but when I signed on, I agreed to _take you out there and to bring you back_, and I have done that. End of story, end of job, contract terminated!

Irene winced when she saw how furious Evie had become. "Is that all I am to you? A contract?" she demanded, her cheeks flaming red in anger.

Rick wasn't done, either. "You can either tag along with me, or stay here. And try and save the world! What's it gonna be?"

"I'm staying," Evie said firmly.

"Me, too," Irene said, but Rick snatched her arm and squeezed it, preventing her from escaping his grip.

"Irene, you are coming with me! No exceptions!" Rick snapped, and began tugging her to the door with him. "I am not getting separated from you again!"

Irene gave Evie a helpless look, but she knew that deep down, Rick was simply worried about her and wanted to protect her. The last thing she saw was Evie's annoyed look before Rick shut the door behind her.

* * *

A/n: I had a little difficulty with this chapter too, which is why it took longer, (and I think it's a good idea to stop it there). The next chapter will be longer though!

Leave a review and let me know what you think?

Special thanks to The Queen of Water, Brunette, Lady Minuialwen, caleb's babe, Avalongirl55, Anaksunamun7, and PurpleFairy11 for reviewing!


	8. We Are in Very Serious Trouble

Disclaimer: There's a reason why this is on a _fanfiction _site...

* * *

Irene tried to break out of Rick's grip, but he held on tightly to her arm as he led the way to the hotel's bar. _Figured_, Irene thought grumpily, still not forgiving him for dragging her along. He was probably hoping that some alcohol would cheer her up, or just make her drunk enough so she wouldn't complain.

She found amusement in watching an apparently drunken man and his Egyptian companion walk toward them from the opposite direction, and the man promptly tripped and stumbled into the fountain. "Some bloody idiot spilled his drink!" He complained drunkenly.

"He's really drunk," she observed.

"You're even worse than that when _you're _drunk," Rick muttered back, clearly still annoyed with her.

Irene aimed to kick his foot, but she lost her footing and found herself tumbling right at the fountain. For once, she was very glad Rick was holding onto her, as he pulled her back before she could fall in. But it was just her luck to have caught the attention of the very man they had been talking about.

"See, you're already like that even though you're perfectly sober!" Rick said triumphantly, giving Irene an infuriating smirk. A look of recognition spread across his face when he got a good view of the man for the first time. "Oh, hey, Winston," he greeted briskly.

"You know him?" Irene asked, rising an eyebrow. "Oh, let me guess, you met him while you were with the Legion."

Rick stared at her. "How did you know?"

Irene shrugged. "It's kind of obvious, don't you think?"

Rick didn't get a chance to respond when Winston too recognized him. "Oh, yeah...You know, O'Connell, ever since the end of the Great War, there hasn't been a...a single challenge worthy of a man like me," he said sadly.

Rick, seeing Jonathan sitting at the bar, lightly punched him and gestured at Winston. "Yeah? Well, we all got our little problems today, don't we, Winston?" Rick asked pointedly, glancing at Irene as he spoke.

"I just wish I could have...chucked us in with the others and gone down in flame and glory, instead of sitting around here, rotting of boredom and booze," Winston admitted, joining Rick and Jonathan for a drink.

"Dying of boredom can be a good thing, actually," Irene put in dryly. "It means there isn't something trying to kill you."

Winston blinked. "This is the sister you've been telling me so much about, O'Connell?"

_So he tells people about me_? Irene wondered, nodding politely to the man as Rick introduced them. "You're just like how I imagined you in his stories!" Winston continued, chuckling to himself as he remembered some amusing conversation he had had with Rick.

"And what stories would that be?" Irene asked, her voice low and dangerous as she turned to glare at her brother.

Irene wasn't surprised at all when Rick nudged Winston's shoulder, warning him to keep his mouth shut. "Ah, well, I'd love to tell you, but I must go back to the airfield. Haha!" Winston said, stealing the cup that Jonathan was just about to hand to Irene.

"Why you..." Irene growled through gritted teeth, as Winston slapped both Rick and Jonathan on the back before he escaped from the scene.

Now that he was gone, Rick quickly changed the subject - clearly trying to avoid Irene asking him what sort of stories he had shared with Winston. "Tell me, has-has your sister always been - ?" Rick asked Jonathan, referring to Evie's stubbornness and determination.

Jonathan nodded, understanding what he was trying to ask. "Oh, yes," he informed him. "Always."

"Well," Henderson announced, joining the three, "We're all packed up but the damned boat doesn't leave till tomorrow morning."

"Tails set firmly between your legs, I see," Jonathan remarked, taking a sip of his drink.

"Yeah, you can talk. You don't have some talking, walking corpse after you," Henderson retorted, no longer sounding smug and arrogant like he did when they had first met.

Irene couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the Americans. "How's...how's Mr. Burns?" she asked Daniels.

"It would have been worse if you hadn't been there," he answered, almost a little reluctantly, as though he didn't like the thought that he owed a woman for something. "So...thank you."

She shook her head. "I did only what anyone would have done," she argued, thinking back to the events of the previous night.

_Why didn't Ardeth take the credit? He was the one who saved _both _Burns and me, so he should've told Rick he saved us! It would've given Rick a reason to trust him...unless...he really isn't a bad person, _she realized, her cheeks flushing as she remembered herself crying into his chest. His very nice chest.

_Argh, Irene, this really isn't the time to be thinking about that! _she scolded herself, putting her cup to her lips.

She wrinkled her nose when she detected a sharp, tangy taste, which had definitely _not _been there the last time she checked. _Have I already gotten _this _drunk_? she thought with disgust, but she received her answer when not just Rick and Jonathan, but the Americans as well spat the alcohol back out, meaning that she wasn't the only one who who was experiencing the strange event. _  
_

"Rick, is this what I think it is?" Irene whispered, choking on her mouthful as she tried to get rid of the horrid taste.

"Sweet Jesus!" Henderson exclaimed. "Tasted just like..."

Rick's shattered cup confirmed her suspicions. "Blood," he finished for Henderson.

"And the rivers and waters of Egypt ran red, and were as blood," Jonathan murmured ominously.

"He's here," Rick realized.

Irene edged closer to him. "Evie," she reminded him quietly. "We should tell her."

She was relieved when he nodded, their earlier bickering forgotten as they quickly ran back the way they came. They caught up to her as she turned the corner, carrying a stack of books in her arms. "Oh, Evelyn!" Rick called, jogging up to her.

"So you're still here?" she asked dryly.

"We've got problems," he admitted, just as the clouds began rumbling with thunder - and rain wasn't the only thing that fell out from the sky.

"We have to go!" Irene shrieked, staggering back as a ball of fire landed too close for comfort.

As they hurried along, using the roof for shelter, Beni came dashing down a flight of stairs, only to turn and go back when he saw that it was Rick. Rick, however, caught Beni by his shirt and pushed him up against the wall. "Hey, you little stink! Where have you been?" Rick accused, but a terrifying roar from above distracted him, letting Beni get away while Rick led Evie and Irene to investigate.

Irene screamed with shock when she saw the remains of what was once Burns collapsed onto his chair, his body completely dry. She suddenly felt sick, and collapsed onto the floor, her whole body trembling with horror as she stared at the man in front of her. She had risked her life to save him, and now he was gone, and his death must have been more painful than anything she could imagine.

"We are in serious trouble," Rick echoed her thoughts, and she followed his gaze to see that the creature was regenerating. He began firing his handguns, but the creature merely continued walking toward him without even a sign that he was being hurt. He flung Rick back into Jonathan and the other Americans, who too had hurried over to see what was going on.

"N-No," Irene sobbed, burying her face into her hands, her shoulders shaking as she cried.

"Rena," Rick soothed, moving over to her side just as the creature leaned in to kiss Evie.

But before he could perform the act, Evie's cat leapt onto the piano, startling the creature and causing him to burst into sand before he disappeared from the room.

"We are in _very_ serious trouble," Rick corrected, staring at the door where the mummy had gone.

* * *

Irene followed her brother slowly, unable to shake Burn's awful death out of her mind. After much discussion, Evie had concluded that the curator she worked with would know something about the situation, and decided that the best option would be to pay him a visit at the Museum of Antiquities.

But Irene was too lost in thought to care. _Oh, if I had visited him before his death, I may have been able to save him_, she wailed silently, completely not realizing that everyone around her had stopped walking. "Omph!" she gasped as she tripped, and found herself flying forward. But before she could fall, a pair of arms reached out and caught onto her. "A-Ah - " Irene began, but she couldn't find the words she wanted to say when she looked up to find herself staring at Ardeth.

"You must be careful at a time like this, Miss O'Connell," Ardeth said softly, lowering his voice so that only she could hear. He steadied her, and Irene felt warmth at his touch. It somehow made her feel better, giving her hope that there was a way they could succeed in destroying the creature. Being so close to him made her feel safe, and she knew that even if Rick didn't trust him, _she_ did. He had had so many opportunities to hurt her, after all, yet he dismissed every single one of them. Someone like that was definitely a good person.

"I-I have a lot on my mind right now," she mumbled, shivering. "Especially when he - " she broke off when she realized exactly how silent the room had become, and her cheeks burned as she felt the rising tension.

"What is he doing here?" Evie asked, gesturing at Ardeth, and Irene groaned inwardly. She shouldn't have told her brother about what had happened after all, seeing how he was now pointing a gun at him. _  
_

The man standing beside Ardeth - Dr. Bey, Evie had explained - turned to look at him and Irene with a rather amused expression. Irene, who had just realized how close she was to Ardeth, let out a squeak and stumbled back. "Do you really want to know, or would you prefer to just - shoot us?"

"After what I just saw, I'm willing to go on a little faith here...Though I would _love_ to shoot him, but for a different sort of reason," Rick added as an afterthought, earning himself an annoyed look from Irene.

"We are part of an ancient secret society," Dr. Bey began, pacing the room as he spoke. "For over three thousand years, we have guarded the City of the Dead. Sworn at manhood to do any and all in our part to stop the High Priest Imhotep from being reborn into this world."

"And now because of you, we have failed," Ardeth went on bitterly, and with a jolt Irene understood why they had gone to such extreme measures to prevent them from reaching Hamunaptra.

_It would make sense why they did those things. Imhotep is one dangerous curse_, Irene thought.

"And you think this justifies the killing of innocent people?" Evie asked.

Dr. Bey exchanged a glance with Ardeth. "To stop this creature? Let me think...yes!" he and Ardeth replied together.

Rick raised a hand. "Question. Why doesn't he like cats?"

"Well, cats are the guardians of the Underworld," the curator answered.

"That's how Ardeth saved me," Irene told Rick, and she saw her brother sigh slightly. _Perhaps he's finally admitting that Ardeth isn't evil, _she thought hopefully.

"He will fear them until he is fully regenerated," Dr. Bey continued.

"And then he will fear nothing," Ardeth said grimly.

Irene shivered again. "I don't think I would have been able to stand up to him if he had been fully regenerated," she said weakly, leaning against the wall to steady herself.

"Yeah, and you know how he gets himself fully regenerated?" Daniels spoke up.

"By killing everyone who opened that chest," Henderson supplied.

"And sucking them dry, that's how," Daniels said hysterically.

Irene shuddered and covered her head with her hands. "D-Don't remind me," she begged, shaking her head as she tried to forget.

Much to Rick's chagrin, Ardeth took her hand and gently pried it away from her face. Irene, forgetting about everything else, sought comfort in his arms and held on tightly to him. This was something Rick would never understand, because her brother had not been there to witness how terrified she had been when she had tried to save Burns from the creature.

And he wasn't here anymore.

"You were very brave," Ardeth said serenely. "I will do everything in my power to prevent the creature from harming you, Miss O'Connell."

"Thank you," Irene murmured, blinking up at him gratefully.

A cough behind them caused Irene to jump away from him as though she had been stung. "If you two are quite done with your little conversation there, we have far more important things to discuss," Rick said, obviously enjoying interrupting them.

"I will have to agree with your brother on that," Evie put in, though Irene could see that there was a twinkle in her eyes. "When I saw him alive at Hamunaptra, he called me...Anck-su-Namun," she recalled. Dr. Bey frowned at Ardeth. "A-And then, just now in Mr. Burns' quarters, h-he tried to kiss me."

"It's because of his love for Anck-su-Namun that he was cursed," Dr. Bey answered shortly. "Apparently, even after three-thousand years - "

"He is still in love with her," Ardeth finished, a grave expression on his face.

Evie blinked. "Yes, well, that's very romantic, but what has it got to do with me?"

"Perhaps he will once again try to raise her from the dead," Ardeth suggested.

Irene hugged her arms to herself tightly, wondering how much he must have loved this woman to go to such extremes for her. _Would I do something like that for the man I love? _she thought. _You've already done that for someone you don't even like, you know_, she reminded herself, and she let out a sigh. She really needed to sort out her priorities, like deciding whether it was worth dying for a man she had never really liked in the first place. She would die for Rick, no questions asked. But Burns?

_And what about Ardeth_? a small voice in her head asked.

What _about _Ardeth, indeed? She had to admit that he was rather attractive, and he was the one who had stayed with her during what was perhaps the most horrifying experience in her life. But she had just officially met him a few days ago, and she still knew nothing about him besides the fact that he was dedicated to protecting the world from the creature. He probably didn't have time for other things.

"Yes. And it appears he has already chosen his human sacrifice," Dr. Bey concluded, breaking Irene out of her thoughts. She would have to deal with her emotions later, because they definitely had a bigger problem at hand.

"Bad luck, old mum," Jonathan commented sympathetically.

"On the contrary, it may just give us the time we need to kill the creature," Dr. Bey decided.

Ardeth turned and stared out the window, his expression darkening as he did so. "We will need all the help we can get. His powers are growing."

They followed his gaze to see that the moon was slowly moving to cover the sun.

"And he stretched forth his hand toward the heavens, and there was darkness throughout the land of Egypt," Jonathan cited mysteriously.

_Whatever happens next will not be good_, Irene thought, sharing a look with Rick. He took her hand and squeezed it, their earlier arguing forgotten, and he wordlessly promised that he would be there to protect her.

* * *

A/n: Ah, I'm sorry for the lack of updating! I was quite busy this week so I didn't have as much time to write. I could've made this chapter longer, but it would have taken even longer to write so I decided to stop it there. And there are more Irene and Ardeth moments in this chapter, so I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed writing them ;)

Leave a review and let me know what you think?

Special thanks to The Queen of Water, Brunette, Lady Minuialwen, caleb's babe, Avalongirl55, Anaksunamun7, and PurpleFairy11 for reviewing!


	9. The Last Plague

Disclaimer: There's a reason why this is on a _fanfiction _site...

* * *

"We _must _stop him from regenerating," Evie began urgently, once they had returned to the hotel to continue forming their plan. "Who opened that chest?"

"Well, there was me and Daniels here...oh, and...Burns, of course," Henderson replied without emotion, his final words causing Irene to flinch. She still couldn't forget what had happened to Burns.

Rick blinked at her, his gaze filled with concern. Irene tried to smile at him to tell him that she was fine, but her smile looked more like a grimace. Irene groaned inwardly - _that_ certainly wasn't very reassuring.

"And that Egyptologist fellow," Daniels supplied halfheartedly.

Rick turned toward him. "What about my buddy Beni?" he inquired almost eagerly, and Irene had a feeling that he wouldn't mind if Beni suffered from the curse.

"No, he scrammed out of there before we even opened the damn thing," Daniels answered.

Henderson gave a humorless smile. "Yeah, he was the smart one."

"Oh, yeah, that sounds like Beni," Rick remarked, beginning to pace the room in anticipation.

"We must...find the Egyptologist and bring him back to the safety of the fort before the creature can get to him," Evie concluded.

Rick nodded. "Right. She stays here. The rest of you - you too, Rena - come with me."

He had barely taken a step to exit the room when everyone began complaining at the same time.

Irene, on the other hand, knew that it was better for her to listen to him in order to avoid another argument, and she could already figure out what his reply would be - he would simply tell her that he wouldn't have to worry about her if she was with him. Besides, she had promised to stay by his side always before he had agreed to let her come with them on the trip.

"Just wait a minute!" Evie protested indignantly. "You can't just leave me behind here like some...old kind of carpet bag! I mean, who put you in charge - O'Connell, what do you think you are doing?! Jonathan! O'Connell! Jonathan!" she shrieked when Rick promptly lifted her unceremoniously and swung her over his shoulder, ignoring her complaints as he stormed into the bedroom.

"Uh...sorry, but he's a bit...tall," Jonathan excused himself lamely, as Rick quickly walked back out of her room and shut the door behind him.

"O'Connell, you are not leaving me in here! Why does Irene get to go with you, anyway?" Evie's shouts became muffled as the door closed, and Irene winced, very glad that she wasn't the one receiving her threats.

"So I won't have to worry about her," Rick responded dismissively, telling Irene that her earlier suspicion had been right.

Rick grabbed onto Daniels' shirt. "This door doesn't open. She doesn't come out, and no one goes in. Right?" he instructed.

"Right," Daniels agreed nervously, and, after once again confirming his orders with Henderson, Rick dropped the room's key into Daniels' hand.

"Let's go, Irene, Jonathan," Rick said, satisfied that everything had worked out in his favor.

"Well, I-I thought I could just stay at the fort and...uh, reconnoiter," Jonathan offered, backing away from the door as if it was a contagious disease.

Rick, however, wasn't going to have any of it. "Now!" he snapped, his patience ebbing away by the second.

"Right. We're just going to...rescue the...Egyptologist," Jonathan mumbled, hurrying after Rick and Irene.

As Irene followed her brother, she suddenly remembered something and skidded to a halt, letting out a shriek as she did so.

Rick stopped abruptly. "What now?" he asked.

"The cat, Rick, the cat!" she said urgently.

"What about the cat? Rena, I know you like cats, but why are you thinking about them at a time like this?" he demanded.

Irene stomped her foot in frustration. How could he have forgotten such an important detail? "Don't you remember what Ardeth and Dr. Bey said back at the museum? The creature will fear cats until he is fully regenerated! So until then, the cat is our most formidable weapon!" It sounded a little silly coming out of her mouth, but it _was _the truth, after all. And she knew she would feel a lot better if she had a cat with her.

"Oh no, you're not going anywhere!" Rick insisted, immediately understanding what she was trying to say. "The reason why I brought you along is that I'll know when you're safe!"

"But I want to help you, Rick! I want to do something other than stand to the side and watch. If you're going to rescue the Egyptologist, you won't have time to worry about me, right? I want to do something that would be useful to us, and _someone _has to find the cat!" Irene argued. Compared to battling undead mummies, searching for missing animals was definitely _not_ a dangerous task...Especially when said animal could protect them against the very mummy they were battling.

Jonathan inclined his head in agreement. "She does have a point."

Rick sighed in defeat, knowing that they were running out of time. "Alright, you can go look for the cat. And since you'll be with him, nothing will happen to you, right? Just meet me back here when you find him."

Irene smiled at him, grateful that he was letting her go. She could finally help him in some way that wouldn't put herself in danger.

"And be careful, okay?" Rick called after her as he and Jonathan headed in one direction while Irene turned to the opposite. She waved her hand at him to show that she had heard, and began pacing the hallway, deep in thought.

Where would a cat be at a time like this...?

"Cleo," she called out softly, but of course there was no answer.

Irene moved down the hallway, slowly and carefully. She checked each open room and public area - the cat could be anywhere for all she knew.

She finally found Cleo in the lounge, hiding underneath a chair. "Come here, kitty," she cooed, reaching her hands out to him. The cat flattened his ears and hissed.

She froze. There was definitely something wrong, and she didn't think the cat was scared of _her_.

She knelt down next to the chair, and with some difficulty, managed to grab Evie's cat around his chest. _I'd better go and see if Rick has come back_, she thought, and without glancing back, she turned and ran back the way she came, almost crashing right into Rick as she entered the room.

"Omph!" she gasped, wondering why on earth her brother and Jonathan were frozen to the spot. She received her answer when Rick wordlessly gestured at something not from where he stood, and Irene's mouth widened in a silent scream as she saw Henderson's limp body lying on the ground. _No!_

_Not again_! she wailed silently, squeezing her eyes shut. She couldn't imagine that Henderson, no matter how much he had annoyed her with his teasing and arrogant personality, would end up like this.

"Rena," Rick said, his voice filled with relief. "You're alright. I was afraid something might've happened to you, too."

Irene shook her head, and without another word, the three continued on toward Evie's room. Irene held her breath, clutching Cleo tightly against her chest. So the cat must have sensed that the creature was here. That would explain why he had hissed earlier...

Rick kicked the door open just in time to witness the mummy kissing Evie, who was squirming in an attempt to escape. "Hey!" Rick roared furiously. "Get your ugly face off her!"

The creature definitely didn't look happy as he growled something in Ancient Egyptian, though it was words that Irene didn't understand. In desperation, she lifted Cleo so he could cover her oval-shaped face in order to prevent herself from seeing the mummy, and it was at that moment when he saw the cat.

Cleo let out a hiss, causing the creature to cry out in terror before he escaped through the window in a burst of sand. Irene instinctively ducked beside Rick.

"You alright?" Rick asked Evie, once the danger had passed and silence had fallen upon the room.

"Oh, well...I'm not sure," Jonathan answered in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere, but the only response he received was a strange look from Rick.

* * *

"I'm guessing you didn't find the Egyptologist?" Irene asked her brother once the group, including Daniels, had gotten into Jonathan's car for the short drive to the museum.

"We _did _find him..." Rick said grimly, though the way he trailed off told Irene that they hadn't made it in time.

Irene shook her head sadly. "Why must they all die in such a horrid way, Rick?" she whispered.

Rick leaned back and squeezed her hand. "We can't do anything about it, can we? The only thing we _can_ do now is to stop the guy from killing any more when we still have a chance."

"So _now_ you've decided to stick with Evie and save the world, huh?" Irene asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh-huh," Rick mumbled, casting Evie a furtive glance to make sure that she wasn't listening. "Gotta keep him away from her."

_Ha_! Irene thought triumphantly, _he does like her_! _We might have a chance to fix his manners with someone like Evie around!_ "You didn't like it when he kissed her, did you?" she prodded further.

Rick shifted uncomfortably. "It doesn't concern you," he muttered, turning his face away from her. He was saved from getting questioned even more when Jonathan pulled the car to a stop outside their destination, and Rick leapt out without even bothering to open the door.

Irene rolled her eyes as she opened the door to her side. _Typical Rick_, she mused as she climbed out, but, unfortunately, she did not pay attention to her surroundings and ended up tripping on the curb. She half-expected to fall face first onto the ground, but instead, she found herself crashing against a certain someone's chest.

She blushed furiously when she saw who had came to her rescue. It was Ardeth. "I-I seem to have a habit of tripping when I'm near you," she managed lamely. He looked at her with a rather weird expression, as though he couldn't decide whether to laugh at her or not.

_Well, that is expected_, she sighed. _He must think that I'm an idiot._

Thankfully, he opted for a cough instead. "No, I do not think of you as an idiot, Miss O'Connell," he informed her. Amusement was evident in his eyes no matter how hard he was trying to act serious. Irene's eyes widened with embarrassment, realizing too late that she had spoken her thought out loud. "You are rather fascinating, but definitely no idiot."

_Fascinating_? Irene hoped he would elaborate, but instead, he continued gruffly, "Anyway, we have been expecting you."

She looked around, flushing when she saw why he had changed the subject - the others were all staring at them with varying degrees of interest. Rick offered his hand to her. "Hurry up, _idiot_," he said teasingly, suggesting that he had overheard their conversation.

Irene batted his hand away with a "Hmph!" and quickened her pace, falling into step beside Evie. "So, uh, you have an idea as to how we can stop the creature?" she asked.

The amusement in her eyes was evident, but she chose not to comment on the matter. "Yes, well, according to legend, the Black Book that the Americans found at Hamunaptra is supposed to bring people back from the dead," she began to explain, and Irene sighed with relief, grateful that she had changed the subject. "Until now, it was a notion I was unwilling to believe."

"Believe it, sister, that's what brought our buddy back to life," Rick cut in dryly.

"Yes, and I'm thinking that if the Black Book can bring dead people to life, then - " she continued, and Rick seemed to get the gist of her plan at the same time.

"Then maybe the Gold Book can kill him," Rick finished.

"That's the myth," Evie agreed as they continued up the stairs, "Now we just have to find out where the Gold Book is hidden."

They paused, however, when a mysterious chant began echoing throughout the museum. They stopped next to the window to get a better look, and Irene gasped once she saw that the innocent Egyptian people were marching toward them with their eyes blank. "This...this is awful," Irene whispered. "How could he do such a thing?"

Rick shrugged. "He's the bad guy, Rena. What did you expect?"

"Last but not least, my favorite plague," Jonathan commented as the chants of "Imhotep" grew louder and closer, "boils and sores."

"They have become his slaves. So it has begun...the beginning of the end," Ardeth said darkly.

"Not quite yet, it hasn't," Evie insisted, exchanging a glance with Rick. "Come on."

She stopped next to the stone plaque and began studying it, oblivious to anything else that was happening around them. Irene had to admire how calm she was despite the situation. "According to Bembridge Scholars, the Golden Book of Amun-Ra is located inside the _Statue of Anubis_."

"That's where we found the Black Book," Daniels recalled.

"_Exactly_," Evie assented.

"Looks like the old boys at Bembridge were mistaken," Jonathan noted.

"Yes, they mixed the books up...mixed up where they were buried, so if the Black Book is inside the Statue of Anubis, then the Golden Book must be inside..." she fell silent as she continued reading the hieroglyphics.

Irene jumped when she heard the front door burst open below them. She grabbed her brother's arm and squeezed it tightly.

"Come on, Evie, faster," Jonathan urged her.

"Patience is a virtue," Evie sang.

Rick turned to her as the men below began bursting into the museum. "Not right now it isn't," he pointed out.

Jonathan edged closer to the staircase. "Uh, I think I'll go get the car started," he volunteered, and without waiting for a response, he bolted back the way they came.

"I've got it!" Evie announced excitedly. "The Golden Book of Amun-Ra is at Hamunaptra, inside the Statue of Horus. Take _that_, Bembridge Scholars!"

* * *

A/n: Another shorter chapter, but I think it's better for the action to be split into several chapters rather than have them all in one gigantic chapter.

Leave a review and let me know what you think?

Oh my goodness. 11 reviews for one chapter? You guys are amazing. Special thanks to The Queen of Water, Brunette, Lady Minuialwen (you also get a virtual cookie for being the 50th reviewer! 8D), caleb's babe, Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967, Avalongirl55, Anaksunamun7, PurpleFairy11, leafygreen16, Nikki, and guest for reviewing!


	10. Smiles, Slaves, and Sewers, Oh My!

Disclaimer: There's a reason why this is on a _fanfiction _site...

* * *

Now that their task at the museum was done, they didn't hesitate escaping the Imhotep's-slaves-laden place. Irene was happy beyond relief when Jonathan pulled the car up to a stop in front of them, and it didn't take long for them to pile into the car, and Irene found herself squeezed in between Evie and Ardeth.

It was then they heard Beni scream "Imhotep!" loudly, alerting him of their location.

Rick stood up and pointed a finger accusingly at Beni. "You're going to get yours, Beni! You hear me? You're gonna get yours!" he roared as Jonathan drove the car off.

"Oh! Like I've never heard that before!" Beni yelled back, but his figure was soon lost in the sea of men as they ran after the car.

"Oh, I _hate _him, that bastard," Rick grumbled, settling down in his seat properly.

Irene opened her mouth, about to say "I can see why", but the words died in her throat when Jonathan abruptly slammed on the brakes and caused the car to skid to a stop. Irene followed his gaze and immediately understood why he had stopped - there was a group of Imhotep's slaves standing right in front of them, blocking their way. "This...this doesn't look like it's going to be good," she said weakly.

"We don't have any other choice," Rick pointed out, and pressed on the gas, hard, with his foot, sending the car zooming forward into the crowd. "Hang on!" he yelled as the 'slaves' came running at them, jumping onto the car from all angles.

Irene shrieked as she felt one of the men's arms grab her around her neck, almost choking her. She was beginning to panic. Rick was busy dealing with attacks from the front, and the others too were occupied in fighting them off. _Am I going to die_? she wondered, flailing her arms about but was unable to do anything. She didn't have her brother's strength. She wouldn't be able to get him off herself even if she wanted to, and the last thing she wanted was to hurt him, because she knew that he was innocent.

She gasped, however, when the weight suddenly disappeared from her shoulders. She whirled around to find that Ardeth had lifted the man off her and had thrown him out of the car. "You look like you could use some help, Miss O'Connell," he said, and Irene was so relieved that she beamed at him.

Irene reached a hand to her neck and shuddered. She could still remember that awful feeling, like she was going to drown. She was about to thank him when another man lunged for Ardeth, and his attention was drawn away as he began battling the man.

Unfortunately for Irene, however, she barely had time to relax before another slave came right at her. She yelped in surprise, but she knew that Ardeth was too preoccupied to help her again. She groaned, knowing that she would have to do something unless she wanted to experience that same choking sensation again. She made up her mind before she could change it. "I-I'm so sorry!" she wailed - not that he could hear her - before she shrieked and elbowed him in the stomach, and squeezed her eyes shut as she made contact with him and sent him flying out of the car.

"That is the first time I have heard someone apologizing before attacking their enemy," Ardeth commented, amusement evident in his eyes.

"T-There's a first for everything," Irene mumbled, feeling her cheeks burn with embarrassment.

She didn't get a chance to say any more when she heard Daniels' panicked cry of "O'Connell! O'Connell!" behind her. She had a feeling he was addressing Rick, but she too turned to see what was wrong, only to wish that she hadn't looked.

He was being dragged off, and there was nothing anyone could do for him.

Irene couldn't spend too much time on the matter, though, when the car crashed into a stand in the street, forcing them all to escape. Irene stared at the ground, groaning when she saw that it was further away from her than she would like - and her brother had decided to be the gentleman for Evie, leaving her helpless and defenseless. She was going to embarrass herself again, that was certain...

She was debating whether she should just jump or not when Ardeth held out his hand to her, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. She didn't think she ever saw him smile since they met, and even though it was _barely_ a smile, it still took her breath away as her eyes met his.

"O-Oh," she said in a small voice, gratefully accepting his hand. "T-Thank you," she stuttered, wondering what on earth had gotten into her for stumbling over her words like this. "And...not just for this. Earlier, too..." she trailed off, mentally slapping herself for acting like an idiot. With Ardeth's help, she managed to set her feet safely onto the ground, and she hesitantly placed a hand on his shoulder to steady herself.

"You're welcome," he said solemnly, before leading her after Rick and the others.

But they couldn't get away from the slaves, who were now gathering around them to their chant of "Imhotep."

Irene tightened her hand's grip, only to realize with a jolt that she was still holding onto Ardeth's hand, but the last thing she wanted was to let go. Him being there was enough to calm her and give her the reassurance that she desperately needed.

The crowd parted then, revealing Imhotep himself as he walked slowly toward them. Irene gulped as she saw that he looked very different from the time when she had confronted him back at Hamunaptra, which could only mean -

"It's the creature. He's fully regenerated," Dr. Bey said, echoing Irene's thoughts.

"Then Mr. Daniels must have... " Irene couldn't bring herself to say the words. She could only hope that wherever the Americans' spirits were now, and if there was such a thing as the afterlife, they were in a place void of suffering and pain. She squeezed Ardeth's hand and edged closer to him as Imhotep continued toward them, speaking in Ancient Egyptian as he walked.

"'Come with me, my princess. It is time to make you mine, forever,'" Beni translated beside him.

Evie glared. "'For _all eternity_', idiot," she corrected him dryly.

Imhotep reached his hand to Evie as Beni continued with his translation. "'Take my hand, and I will spare your friends.'"

Rick snorted. He was clearly unhappy with this turn of events, and Evie shot him a look. "Oh dear," she said. "Have you got any bright ideas?"

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking," Rick said, tightening his hold on the torch.

"You better think of something fast, because, if he turns me into a mummy, you're the first one I'm coming after," she threatened, and without waiting for Rick's response, she stepped toward Imhotep.

Rick's gun was in his hand almost at once. "No," he protested, pointing the gun at Imhotep, and Irene reached forward in an attempt to stop him.

"Don't!" Evie warned. "He still has to take me to Hamunaptra to perform the ritual," she reminded him.

"She's right," Ardeth agreed, placing a hand on Rick's arm warningly. "Leave today, fight tomorrow."

"I'll be seeing you again," Rick growled to Imhotep, and Irene sighed with relief as he returned his handgun to its place on his vest.

As soon as Imhotep began walking away with Evie, however, Rick made an attempt to lunge at them. "Evelyn!" he called desperately, but Ardeth was quick to stop him.

Irene, too busy worrying about her brother, didn't notice that Beni had stolen the puzzle box from Jonathan - who had really stolen the box from Rick - until she saw that Beni was holding it in his hand.

Imhotep barked an order, and from the tone of his voice, Irene concluded that whatever it was, it wasn't good. Evie began struggling at the same time, which definitely indicated that something was wrong. She turned to Ardeth for confirmation, and to her dismay, he nodded. "He ordered them to kill us," he told her, and right on cue, the slaves began moving in on them.

Rick, noticing the entrance to the sewers, lifted its lid and moved it to the side. "Come on!" he called to Jonathan.

"What about my sister?" he asked worriedly.

"We're gonna get her back," Rick promised, and threw him down without further delay.

"You next!" Rick instructed, grabbing Ardeth by his shirt before sending him down after Jonathan. "Irene!"

She winced. "But - I - " she was going to make a fool of herself again.

"That's why I sent _him_ down first!" he explained impatiently, and ignoring her protests, grabbed her and practically threw her down into the sewers. She squeaked in terror as she felt herself fall into nothingness, but a pair of warm hands caught her around her waist and lowered her down the rest of the way.

"I am going to _kill_ him!" Irene declared, tightening her hand into a fist as she waved it up at Rick. "Who does he think he is, throwing me like that? I could've been seriously hurt! N-Not that I don't appreciate your help," she added to Ardeth hastily.

She jumped away from Ardeth when her brother himself landed neatly next to them. "He didn't make it," Rick said softly.

Ardeth nodded, but he didn't appear surprised by the news. "He fulfilled his duties as a Medjai until the very end," he murmured, and straightened himself with a small shake of his head. "Come, we must hurry."

Irene fell in step beside him. "I-I'm sorry," she whispered. "He was close to you, wasn't he? It must be...hard to lose someone close to you. I mean, it's worse enough when I'm upset that the Americans are gone, and I never even liked them!" she knew she was rambling now, but she couldn't help it.

Ardeth turned and offered her a small smile. "Do not worry, Miss O'Connell. As the chieftain of the Medjai, I am fully aware that our duty is to protect Egypt from the creature, sacrificing ourselves if we must."

Nodding numbly, Irene whispered, "So...there's a chance that you could...?"

"Yes, though I try not to," he answered, the smile becoming wider as he spoke.

It was then when Irene finally realized that he was trying to make a joke, and she couldn't stop a smile from forming on her lips. "You _can_ smile," she blurted out rather stupidly, and flushed at her embarrassing words.

"_You _make me smile, Miss O'Connell," he countered.

Irene couldn't think of anything to say to that. "Call me Irene," she said faintly.

She had never gotten a chance to converse with Ardeth before now, and as they talked, time seemed to pass a lot more faster than she expected. She hadn't realized how tired she was until she stumbled and almost tripped, only for Ardeth to catch onto her hand.

Rick turned to the source of the noise, and his expression softened. "You must be tired, Rena. I'll scout ahead for a bit. You can stay here and rest, since it seems safe at the moment. Let's go, Jonathan."

"I'm tired too!" Jonathan whined, but Rick ignored his protests and jerked him along.

Irene stared after him, wondering what had gotten into her brother for him to leave her alone with Ardeth for so long. Sighing, she plopped down onto the ground, and couldn't stop herself from asking the one question that had been on her mind for so long. "About before...why...why _did _you save me? I thought you didn't care who got hurt as long as you were doing your duty?"

"That is true," Ardeth agreed, hesitating. Irene almost wished she hadn't asked him, but he didn't give her time to speak. "But there is something different about you, something that I have not seen before in the women of the Medjai. They act because they have both the courage _and _the skill to do so. You, however...you were willing to risk your own life to protect that man, even though you had no way of saving yourself. You are very...fascinating in that sense. And I do not think any Medjai warrior would walk onto the battlefield without preparing themselves first, which was also something that you did that surprised me."

Irene's cheeks burned as she recalled that incident, and she shifted nervously. "That's why my brother thinks I'm an idiot," she informed him.

"You are not an idiot, Irene," Ardeth stated firmly, and she was touched by the way he said her name. "You are...you. In fact, that is what I like about you. To me, you are refreshing. I have not encountered someone like you before now..." he was staring at her as he spoke, waiting for her reaction.

_That is what I like about you_. Was he telling her that he liked her...? Irene didn't know why, but she found herself tilting her head toward him. Her heart thudded painfully in her chest, and she wouldn't be surprised if he could hear it too. He leaned down closer to her, and she shivered at their proximity.

Was he going to kiss her?

She heard the footsteps at the same time he did. Ardeth abruptly whipped his head around, and Irene sighed. She couldn't decide whether she was relieved that he hadn't kissed her, or disappointed.

"_Them_," she heard him growl. And sure enough, a group of Imhotep's slaves had somehow managed to catch up to them. "Stay behind me, Irene," he said, and brought out his handguns before he began to openly shoot at them.

Irene buried her head into Ardeth's back, wincing every time she heard a bullet fire. She couldn't bare to watch them die, knowing that they had been dragged into this mess unwillingly. The shooting was over almost as soon as it had started, and Irene peered out to see that they were all lying on the ground, dead.

Footsteps came from the other end of the passage, and Ardeth whirled around with Irene behind him, expecting more attackers to appear. "O'Connell," Ardeth addressed the newcomer. Irene looked up to find that it was indeed Rick who had returned.

"What happened? We heard gunshots," Rick panted.

"Just his slaves," Ardeth said dismissively. "We should keep going."

"Of course," Rick agreed. "Are you alright, Rena?" he added to her once she had caught up to him.

"Yes, I'm fine. Ardeth got them before they could attack," she told him. "Why did you trust me with him, Rick?"

Rick turned and cast the Medjai warrior a look of grudging respect. "Let's just say that...I've come to accept the fact that I can't always be there to protect you. And...as much as I hate it, he _does_ do a good job of keeping you safe."

* * *

A/n: A lot more Ardeth and Irene moments in this chapter ;) - now you know why he's interested in her.. Hopefully the original material in this chapter makes up for the movie dialogue in the previous one.

Leave a review and let me know what you think? And this may just be wishful thinking on my part, but is it possible for this story to reach 100 reviews? the **100th **reviewer can request any sort of one-shot from yours truly and have it dedicated to them. It can be any genre and from any fandom that I'm comfortable with (i.e. Harry Potter, Mummy, etc).

Special thanks to The Queen of Water, Brunette, Lady Minuialwen, caleb's babe, Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967, Avalongirl55, krikanalo, PurpleFairy11, and Natsuko26 for reviewing!


	11. Hamunaptra Again

Disclaimer: There's a reason why this is on a _fanfiction _site...

* * *

"Morning, Winston!" Rick greeted his Legion friend. After a night full of avoiding Imhotep's slaves and trekking through the sewers, they had finally made it to Winston's airfield. "Uh, a word?"

"What's your little problem got to do with his Majesty's Royal Air Corps?" Winston asked, calmly taking a sip out of his cup.

Rick shook his head. "Not a damn thing," he responded, immediately causing Winston's eyes to widen in excitement.

"Is it dangerous?" he asked eagerly, his drink momentarily forgotten.

"You probably won't live through it," Rick stated bluntly.

Irene winced. She really didn't want to be reminded of the horrid things that had happened to them in the last few days, but it seemed her brother had other plans. Death, however, appeared to be the least of Winston's worries, and Irene almost wished she could share his excitement. "By Jove, you really think so?"

"Well, everybody else we've bumped into has died, why not you?" Jonathan pointed out.

"What's the, uh, what's the challenge, then?" Winston asked, his interest increasing by the second.

"Rescue the damsel in distress - not Rena, mind you - kill the bad guy, save the world," Rick promptly responded.

"Men," Irene muttered under her breath, shaking her head. Once this whole ordeal was over, she decided, she was going to settle down somewhere for a very long drink and hopefully forget everything. Not that it would be very likely, but she could always hope. At Ardeth's questioning look, she gestured to her brother and elaborated, "They're crazy. I, ah, I don't mean you though…" she trailed off, unable to get rid of the heat rising on her cheeks.

"Who's crazy?" Rick cut in, causing Irene to jump into the air in surprise.

It appeared that while she had been acting like an idiot around Ardeth, Winston had accepted their 'challenge' without question.

"N-Nobody's crazy," Irene lied quickly. She was aware of the fact that Ardeth was trying hard not to laugh. _Don't you dare say anything_, she warned him wordlessly, hoping that he would get what she was trying to say. The crooked grin on his face only grew wider.

Rick rolled his eyes. "Has anyone told you how awful you are at lying? You get all flustered and everything." Rick paused before he patted Ardeth on his shoulder and added, "If you're around someone as crazy as she is, it'll drive you crazy, too. See, I'm practically insane."

"Hey!" Irene protested, and even though she knew it was childish, she stuck her tongue out at Rick. But to her amazement, Ardeth actually chuckled.

"I do not mind. In fact, it would do us Medjai some good for there to be someone like Irene in our lives," Ardeth said with a rather serious face, and Irene couldn't help but giggle as Rick's expression changed into one of annoyance.

"Well, you can take her, then," Rick decided in a teasing manner, "That's one less thing for me to worry about. Having to rescue Evelyn is more than enough."

Irene smacked his arm as they followed Winston towards his plane, but she was secretly very glad that he was beginning to accept Ardeth as a valuable ally. She stopped dead when the plane came into view. "Uh, Rick? How are we all going to fit into the plane?"

"That's simple," Rick answered with a smirk, "You stay here."

Irene glared.

Winston had noticed the problem as well. "Two of you will have to be strapped to the wings," he began thoughtfully, tapping his chin. "Though I doubt Miss O'Connell would like that. Perhaps she can squeeze in with you, O'Connell?" he suggested, gesturing to the seat behind the pilot.

"That doesn't seem very comfortable," Jonathan argued - probably referring to the fact that he would have to be strapped to the wing - just as Rick nodded and agreed, "Good plan."

"How very thoughtful of you," Irene commented politely, though she wasn't sure whether she would fit in with Rick in a seat meant for one person. But before she could point this fact out, Rick had scooped her into his arms and leapt onto the plane. "Richard O'Connell, put me down this instant!" she shrieked, but he settled down and and held her tightly against him. All Irene could do was hide her face in his chest and press as close to him as possible, and even then, it was a rather tight fit.

She could hear Jonathan protesting loudly as Winston wrapped the belt around him. Compared to Jonathan, Irene's spot suddenly seemed a lot more comfortable, though there was a small problem - "Rick, can you access the gun with me in the way?" she fretted. Of course, she hoped that he wouldn't have to use it, but considering the situation they were in, it was highly probable.

He shrugged. "I'll manage," he grunted.

That didn't sound very reassuring, but it was then the plane took off into the sky, and all Irene could do was squeeze her eyes shut. She wasn't exactly a big fan of flying.

As the plane soared above the Egyptian desert, Rick whistled to catch the attention of the two hanging onto the wings. "Are you all right?" he shouted over the roaring engine.

"Do I bloody look all right?" Jonathan yelled back, his voice filled with annoyance.

Irene cringed. She wanted desperately to cover her ears to block out the noise - she was especially close to her brother, after all. Unfortunately, her hands were a bit preoccupied with hugging him, and the last thing she wanted was to let go.

"How're you doing?" Rick turned to Ardeth's direction, but he received no response. Irene didn't know whether she should be relieved or worried.

"See that?" Winston said, gesturing at something not far from the plane. "I've never seen one so big!"

"Never?" Rick inquired.

"No!" Winston answered.

Irene suddenly felt Rick stiffen against her. "Oh. My. God," he exclaimed. "Hey, Winston! Pedal faster!"

Wondering what was troubling her brother so much, Irene opened one eye and looked in the direction he was staring at...and immediately wished she hadn't looked.

A wall of sand was flying right at them.

"Hang on, men and woman!" Winston ordered gleefully, laughing as he dove the plane down a cliff with the sand following right behind them.

Irene stared as a face that looked suspiciously like Imhotep's appeared in the sand. "Get down, Rena!" Rick screamed, before he began to fire the machine gun into the sea of sand. His efforts, though, were futile, as the face opened its mouth and swallowed the plane, whole.

Coughing and sputtering, Irene clung desperately onto her brother as the plane rolled this way and that. For a moment, she really felt as though they were about to die, and she squeezed Rick as tightly as she could. Compared to her last near-death experience, _this_ was even worse, because she wasn't the only one who was in danger. The two men she cared about the most could...could...

"Here I come, laddies! Ha ha!" Winston yelled heroically, breaking Irene out of her thoughts.

Very abruptly, the sandstorm began to subside, causing the plane to stop swaying violently in the air. But their relief was short-lived as the smell of smoke wafted towards them, and the plane crashed downward into the sand below.

Irene squeezed her eyes shut and prepared for the impact. But to her surprise, it wasn't as painful as she expected, thanks to the fact that the sandstorm had mysteriously ended.

They were somehow able to survive the crash.

Rick stumbled out of the cockpit and helped Irene down, briefly hugging her to him. "You're all right, Rena," he whispered. Irene, still too shocked from the ordeal, could only nod wordlessly.

"Excuse me!" Jonathan's voice interrupted, "A little help would be useful...if it's not _too much trouble_!"

"Yeah, yeah, all right," Rick said, ruffling Irene's already messed-up hair before he made his way to Jonathan's side. As Rick finally freed Jonathan, he turned to the plane's pilot. "Winston! Hey, Winston!"

No response.

After checking his pulse, Rick turned and gave Irene and Jonathan a sad look.

His expression told Irene everything. She knew her brother well, and right now, she could tell he was upset. Her heart cried for him. Never would he be able to speak to Winston again, never would she be able to find out what stories Rick had told Winston...

Irene felt the ground sway dangerously beneath her. The warden, Burns, Henderson, Daniels, the Egyptologist, Dr. Bey...their tragic ends struck her all at once. Perhaps it was Winston's death, or the thought that everyone she loved could die in Imhotep's hands, that was the trigger, but whatever it was, it made Irene suddenly feel sick.

The ground spun around her. She was vaguely aware of Rick warning them to get back because there was quicksand, and despite her mind protesting her to move out of the way, her body acted differently.

The last thing she heard was someone - Rick? _Ardeth_? - calling out her name, before she toppled forward and gave in to the darkness.

* * *

Her cheek was pressed against something warm and soft. It was the first thing Irene felt as she slowly began to regain consciousness.

She was safe and comfortable, almost as if..."I must have died and woke up in heaven," Irene mumbled, sighing with content. She hadn't felt like this in a long, long, time.

"If you think _this_ is heaven, you must have rather low standards, Irene" a familiar voice rumbled beneath her.

"That's because you're my heaven, Ardeth," Irene murmured, snuggling closer against - wait a second! _Ardeth_?! Irene opened her eyes, and promptly fell onto the ground with a squeak. She rubbed her bottom. "Ow," she complained, looking up to find the three men watching her with amusement.

Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as Rick held out his hand to her. "So you're finally awake, Rena? I didn't think you would ever wake up, seeing how comfortable you looked on Ardeth's back."

"I-Is that what happened?" she managed, blushing furiously.

"Yes. You fainted after the crash, and he had to carry you here," Rick explained, gesturing at Ardeth.

Irene nodded dazedly. "By 'here', do you mean - ?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Jonathan answered.

"We just arrived," Rick added gravely, indicating the entrance to the underground chambers with his hand.

"Oh," Irene said in a small voice.

Hamunaptra. _They were back_.

"I think you should stay outside, Rena, especially after what happened back there," Rick suggested, squeezing her hand.

"But I - " _But I hate not knowing what will happen to you. I hate sitting by the sidelines while you get hurt, knowing that there isn't anything I can do to help you...But I know you are worried about me_. And Irene knew she would only hold him back if she went with them, and the last thing she wanted was to be the reason why he failed to stop the creature. There wasn't time for arguments. Besides, she wasn't exactly thrilled to go back to a place filled with terror and horrid memories.

She had a sudden urge to cry, but she didn't want to trouble him even more. Not now, not when they were so close to ending the creature once and for all.

"You're right, Rick," she agreed finally. He blinked, clearly surprised by her response, and Irene stood on her tiptoes and kissed him swiftly on the cheek. "Just promise you'll come back to me, Rick. _With_ Evie."

"Of course," he said gruffly. "What do you take me for?"

She smiled at him before turning to Ardeth. "Take care of my brother for me," was the only thing she could think of to say without acting like an idiot again.

But then again, the plane incident had taught her that she should do everything when she had the chance. Who knew what would happen in the future...? _No_, she scolded herself. _Don't think like that_!

"Oh, don't hate me for this," she begged, and before she could change her mind, she leaned up and brushed her lips against his. It was short and light and sweet, but through her kiss, Irene told him everything she wanted to say. _Thank you for saving me, for your warmth, for your support, for everything...and...I think I may have fallen in love with you. _

"Please don't die," she whispered, pulling away from him. The tears were close to spilling.

But she couldn't. Not yet.

"If you don't want me to," Ardeth said, the twinkle in his eyes telling her that he was attempting to make a joke. Irene flung her arms around him, not wanting to let him go, but knowing that it was his duty to stop the creature.

"It's time," Rick coughed, and Irene reluctantly forced her arms to drop back to her side. She wasn't sure if Rick was smiling, but he turned his head away before she could figure out what he was thinking. _I just hope he isn't planning on murdering Ardeth when I'm not in there with them_, she thought.

"Do I get a kiss?" Jonathan joked.

Irene lightly punched his shoulder. "Ask your sister for one," she retorted. She didn't want them to see her cry, but if they didn't go soon...

"Be careful," Rick reminded her.

"I will. You too, Rick. Go kick some mummy butt for me," she told him, waving the three off.

It was only once they had entered the chambers and the darkness had completely engulfed them did Irene sink onto the ground and burst into tears. There was only one thought on her mind.

_Please be safe. _

* * *

A/n: I am no expert in planes, so I have no idea whether there would be enough room for Irene to squeeze in with Rick (though it would definitely make less sense if she was strapped to the wing - she would throw a fit 8'D). So let's just pretend there is ;)

And I apologize for not updating in a week! D: I ended up going out of town again, so I didn't have time to write... /hides/ But I hope the Ardeth/Irene scene in this chapter makes up for my absence..

Leave a review and let me know what you think? And this may just be wishful thinking on my part, but is it possible for this story to reach 100 reviews? the **100th **reviewer can request any sort of one-shot from yours truly and have it dedicated to them. It can be any genre and from any fandom that I'm comfortable with (i.e. Harry Potter, Mummy, etc).

Special thanks to krikanalo, The Queen of Water, Brunette, Lady Minuialwen, caleb's babe, Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967, PurpleFairy11, and Natsuko26 for reviewing!


	12. Promise of Reunion

Disclaimer: There's a reason why this is on a _fanfiction _site...

* * *

Irene cried until she could shed no more tears.

She felt a bit better after her outburst, but now that she was feeling better, she realized that she didn't have anything else to do besides wait. And she _hated_ waiting.

She turned and studied her surroundings. There was a herd of camels not far away from her spot, and out of boredom, she decided to count them. That would certainly take her mind off other things -

_One_.

_Two_.

_Three._

Irene snorted, shaking her head at her own idiocy. It wasn't as though anyone would be interested in knowing that there were fifteen camels wandering just outside of Hamunaptra, unless there were fifteen travelers looking for fifteen camels, but that was besides the point.

She looked up into the sky and counted the clouds. Not that there were many in the desert...This wasn't America, after all.

Just as she resorted to counting the grains of sand beneath her, Irene froze when she heard footsteps making its way towards the camels. She edged closer for a better look, and she saw a figure quickly approaching, dragging a large bag with them.

_Beni_, she recalled. He had betrayed them to work for Imhotep, which meant that he probably knew what was going on inside Hamunaptra. She picked her way to him cautiously, knowing that there was a chance he could be hostile towards her, but she couldn't hide the excitement boiling inside her. She could ask him if he had seen Rick and the others!

In her haste, Irene had completely forgotten to stay as quite as possible. Beni's head snapped up, relaxing slightly when he saw who had disturbed him. "You're the sister," Beni acknowledged in a tone that was neither friendly nor evil.

"Yes," Irene responded.

"I didn't expect you to be here," he continued, eyeing the heavy bag as though he was afraid she would snatch it away from him any minute.

Irene shrugged. "I'm not planning on stealing your bag, if that's what you're thinking. You came from inside, right? You must know how Rick is doing."

He didn't seem convinced, but his eyes flashed with interest. He was definitely planning something. "Why don't you come with me? It's better if you see for yourself...and you can even help me carry a few bags along the way."

_Yup. He's probably worried that I would steal whatever is in his bag if he left me alone out here_, Irene thought. "Relax," she reassured him. "I'm not interested in your stupid bag. Besides, I promised Rick I would stay here. If I went now, I would just be more trouble for him..."

"You'll be with me," he pointed out. "It's not far from here, and you'll be back before he notices. So don't worry about O'Connell." Without waiting for her reply, Beni grabbed Irene around the arm and began tugging her along with him.

"W-What are you doing?" Irene protested, trying to yank her arm free, but his grip was too tight for her to break. _Is he leading me into a trap_? she thought, beginning to panic as he got closer and closer to the entrance. "Stop it! Let go of me!"

_Bang_!

A gunshot rang in the air, causing Beni to jump back and loosen his hold on her.

Irene took the opportunity to jerk away, just as a familiar thick-accented voice called out "Let go of her!"

Irene whirled around, relieved to find Ardeth making his way towards them, the handgun he had used still gripped tightly in his hand. Aside from the fact that he looked ruffled and exhausted, he appeared to be fine.

Beni cursed in annoyance before he scurried back toward the entrance.

"Ardeth!" Irene exclaimed, unable to stop a grin from spreading as she ran into his arms. "Oh, thank the heavens! You're all right!"

"Yes. I have to thank you for that, Irene," he said solemnly. "You told me not to die, after all."

Irene's cheeks burned. "Of course. I would never forgive myself if you or Rick..." she faltered, unable to bring herself to finish. "And speaking of Rick, he's not with you?" she asked hopefully.

Ardeth shook his head, but he appeared far from worried. "We had to split up," he explained, "when Imhotep's priests attacked. But he did find the book, so I am sure he will be fine."

"That's a relief," Irene sighed. "You were taking so long, I thought - I thought that you could have - "

A tear rolled down her cheek, but Ardeth gently brushed it away with his thumb. "I am sorry to have worried you so, Irene," he murmured. She suddenly felt something heavy in her hand, and she looked down to see that Ardeth had given her his handgun. She blinked with surprise, and he chuckled before continuing, "I want you to take this. We Medjai are trained to handle a variety of weapons, but we all pick one unique weapon as our...last resort, meaning we only use it if our lives are in danger. The machine gun ran out on me, which is why I took this out. If you hold on to it for me, however, it would mean I would never have to use my last resort."

Irene stared at him. She couldn't believe he was giving her something so important. "A-Are you sure about this, Ardeth?" she whispered.

Ardeth took her hand and squeezed it. "Yes, I am sure. It would mean that my life is not in danger, so you do have to worry about me. Besides, you still owe me for saving your life so many times, so putting my life in your hands is fitting. It makes us even," he added lightly.

"Then...I'll take good care of it," she promised, hugging the gun tightly against her chest. _I'll never let it go_, she vowed silently.

Ardeth nodded. "Thank you."

_This feels like goodbye, _Irene wailed. She opened her mouth, but before she could decide what she wanted to say to him, the ground rumbled dangerously beneath them. Irene nearly lost her balance in the sudden movement, but Ardeth quickly took her arm to steady her. "Is this an earthquake?" she gasped, clutching onto him for support.

"It must be the lever," Ardeth muttered. "Someone must have set it off. We have to leave before it destroys the City."

Irene made to follow him, but then stopped dead and whirled around. "But Rick is still inside!"

"Your brother is strong. He will survive," Ardeth pointed out, and scooped Irene into his arms before he effortlessly seated himself on top of one of the camels. "We do not have much time."

Irene didn't know how he was able to move so swiftly, especially when he was carrying her at the same time, but she didn't complain as he whipped the camel and set it racing out of Hamunaptra.

Ardeth didn't slow the camel until they had left the City far behind, and as Irene finally relaxed, she looked over Ardeth's shoulder to see three very familiar people running toward them. "They made it!" she laughed, hugging him tightly in relief before turning to watch in amazement as the City of the Dead exploded behind them.

Her brother, Evie, and Jonathan too stopped and stared, completely oblivious to anything else around them. Irene shared a look with Ardeth before jerking her head at her companions, forming an evil grin at the same time. Ardeth must have understood, for he leaned down and placed his hand on Jonathan's shoulder, causing the poor man to jump in fright and whirl around. Irene giggled when Rick and Evie turned with equal looks of surprise. It was priceless.

"Oh, thank you, thank you very much!" Jonathan gasped out, putting a hand over his heart.

"Rena!" Rick exclaimed, noticing that she was with him. She beamed, grateful that her brother was alive and well.

"You have earned the respect and gratitude of me and my people," Ardeth told them seriously, though Irene could see that he was smiling.

Jonathan shook his head. "It was nothing," he insisted.

"May Allah smile upon you, always," Ardeth continued, clearly still amused as he lowered the camel so Irene could join Rick on the ground. As the camel rose to its full height, Ardeth kissed his hand before moving it to his forehead in a gesture of blessing, which Jonathan tried to mimic but failed miserably.

"And yourself," Jonathan returned.

Irene stepped forward, knowing, deep down, that this was goodbye. "Will I...will I see you again?" she asked hesitantly.

"I believe we will, Irene," he stated firmly, "because you still owe me a cup of coffee." With that, he clicked his tongue at the camel, leaving Irene standing, stunned, behind him.

"Call me Rena next time we meet!" she called after him, still feeling dazed at the fact that he had remembered. Ardeth held up an arm to show that he had heard.

"He's just...leaving us here," Jonathan complained loudly, staring after the Medjai, before letting out a sigh of annoyance. "Well, I guess we go home empty-handed..._Again_."

"I wouldn't say that," Rick argued, before he turned and smiled tenderly at Evie.

Irene smirked triumphantly as Evie returned his smile, and it was all the invitation her brother needed before he leaned down and kissed her. "It's about time," Irene remarked. "Don't you think so, Jonathan?"

He rolled his eyes in response. "Oh, please," he grumbled, turning toward his camel. "How about you, darling? Would you like a little kissy-wissy?" Irene couldn't help but laugh as the camel snorted in his face, causing him to wave at the air in an attempt to get rid of the smell.

The group took no time to climb onto the camels, happy to leave Hamunaptra behind for good. It was only once they had set off into the setting sun, and Rick had broke off from another kiss with Evie, did he suddenly notice what Irene was holding. "Uh, Rena? Why do you have...a _gun_?"

"Oh, this?" she said cheerfully. Irene felt strangely giddy, in the way an innocent schoolgirl would feel when she got to spend time with the boy she had a crush on."It's rather complicated, but the short version of the explanation is that Ardeth has entrusted me with his life."

Her brother deadpanned. "I wouldn't have done that if I were him. The guy really must be crazy to give something like that to you. A weapon in your hands could only mean trouble," Rick muttered under his breath.

"Watch what you say, Mister," Irene threatened, albeit jokingly. "I...I have a weapon!"

The enemy was dead, her brother was fine, she was going to see Ardeth again - and even though he was no longer by her side, his gun was enough to tell her that he was safe.

It was the first time Irene had felt so happy in a long while.

**_~La fin~ _**

* * *

A/n: Behold, the final chapter! *insert epic music here*.

I think the gun scene might be a tad cheesy, but it's more suitable than a ring or something similar /hides/. And now that Irene has a gun, she'll use to kill everyone on a crazy rampage. (shh. Don't worry, she won't. Badass skills aren't made in a day.)

I am definitely planning on including Irene in _The Mummy Returns _(and that gun will play an important role in it 8D), but I'm not sure when I can get to it because school is starting soon and I'll probably end up being too busy to write (or expect less frequent updates). *frowns*

Leave a review and let me know what you think? Only 13 more to 100! :o the **100th **reviewer can request any sort of one-shot from yours truly and have it dedicated to them. It can be any genre and from any fandom that I'm comfortable with (i.e. Harry Potter, Mummy, etc). **The offer still applies even after the story is finished**! Feel free to review to your heart's content - And here's a little something bonus: as soon the story reaches 100 reviews, I'll upload a teaser (or possibly even the first chapter) of the sequel. Very tempting, no? ;)

Thank you to The Queen of Water, GambitLover, Brunette, Lady Minuialwen, Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967, PurpleFairy11, sarahmichellegellarfan1, and Guest for reviewing the previous chapter! And thank you all for supporting the story. I had no idea it would become this popular. Sob.

Special special thanks to Brunette, Lady Minuialwen, The Queen of Water, and sarahmichellegellarfan1 for your continued support!

(Random trivia: The title of this chapter is taken from a horror game called Ib.)


End file.
